Covid-19 patients have not received mandatory compensation: Attorney General’s Office

No member of the subsidized health regime diagnosed positive for covid-19, since the health emergency began in Colombia, has received temporary economic compensation for isolation, the Attorney General’s Office warned this Tuesday.

The entity asked the Ministry of Health to guarantee its immediate delivery, taking into account that the seven-day recognition is vital as a means of subsistence for families, and to control the spread of the coronavirus in the poorest population of the country.

In a letter sent to Minister Fernando Ruiz, they warn that article 14 of Decree 538 of 2020 is not being complied with, which establishes an economic aid equivalent to seven days of the current legal monthly minimum wage, for affiliates of the subsidized regime positive for covid -19.

“In the development of a preventive action carried out by the Public Ministry, it was established that after four months of the issuance of the decree and with 607,938 confirmed cases, no procedure has yet been implemented, nor any type of transfer to the infected belonging to the most vulnerable population in the country, “said the public ministry.

The Prosecutor’s Office recalled that the purpose of the rule is to promote the isolation of patients and control the spread of the virus among those affiliated with the subsidized health regime, who due to their activities have a greater exposure to possible contagion.

For the control body, this situation is worrying if it is taken into account that the economic crisis derived from the pandemic has led to 24% of families only having access to two daily meals, according to the latest Dane report, and noted that It is essential to take actions that guarantee the well-being and health of the citizens hardest hit by the crisis.

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