250 female sterilization surgeries scheduled

The permanent sterilization program carried out by the Ministry of Health and the Social Security Fund has exceeded expectations. Originally expected 100 interventions, requests for 250 operations have been scheduled.

Medical director of the Integrated Hospital San Miguel Arcángel, Rafael De Gracia, explained that the program is aimed at women with insurance or not, need to be over 23 years of age, have had  2 children or more and who do not wish to have any more.  Since April,  50 interventions have been completed and the remaining 200 are being scheduled for August.

"The truth is that we are limited, not only because we do not have surgical rooms, but also because of the staff," said De Gracia.

Aldimarina López , medical director of the Hospital Irma de Lourdes Tzanetatos, in which the interventions are carried out, said that this process is voluntary.  Patients have to be referred by specialists in gynecology, be they polyclinics, health or other health entities in the public or private sector.

Applicants  must meet certain requirements, which includes having a body mass index below 35  and have had certain tests such as blood count, acquired immunodeficiency virus (HIV), glycemia and creatinine.

Applicants must undergo a pre-assessment process at the Amelia Denis health center in Icaza, in San Miguelito, which will determine if the woman is suitable for the intervention.

President Juan Carlos Varela announced yesterday that he will meet with the board of directors of the Social Security Fund (CSS), in order to see the possibility of allocating resources from his discretionary budget to carry out pending general surgeries.

The announcement comes after the president visited the Hospital Complex Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid last Friday, where the patients shared their situations, waiting for months for surgery. Last year, funds from the discretionary account, handled by the Presidency,  were used to cover the plan to reduce the surgical delays.