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Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s director for America, considers that the Nicolás Maduro regime is being irresponsible with the handling of the pandemic in the country.
“The Venezuelan authorities either deny the number of health workers who have died from covid-19, or they do not have precise information on the precarious conditions of hospitals and the urgent need for better protection of both staff and patients. In any case, the government is being totally irresponsible ”, he asserted.
Guevara Rosas said that while Maduro calls for applause for health personnel, what they really need are concrete government measures “to work safely and allow their voices to be heard without retaliation.”
The organization Médicos Unidos de Venezuela recorded that 71 health workers died between July 1 and August 16, and 37 of those deaths occurred only in the first 16 days of August. Which means almost 30% of the total deaths from covid-19 reported by the authorities in Venezuela, which so far total 288.
“The authorities are not breaking down deaths by sector and many health worker deaths are not counted in the official register,” he said.
Lack of veracity in the figures
A report by Amnesty International details that the organization gathered information indicating that on August 16 there were 691 patients hospitalized for symptoms of Covid-19 in the main hospitals in Caracas alone, double the number from the previous week. “This raises doubts about the veracity of the official daily case figures throughout the country, because the regime reported only 1,148 new cases throughout the country on August 16.”
“Venezuela stands out as a clear example of retaliation by the State against health personnel,” the text indicates. Since Amnesty International began monitoring the situation of health personnel throughout the American continent in early April, “Venezuela is the only country that has imprisoned those who have spoken out publicly about the risks to their safety and that of patients.” explains the letter.
Although in many countries of the region there has been retaliation against health workers who act as whistleblowers, according to the information available to Amnesty International, Venezuela is the only country in the area that has detained health personnel and taken them before military and civil courts. .
To date, Amnesty International has received information from at least 12 health workers who have been detained during the pandemic, including many whose process they have violated by not informing them of the charges against them.
To read the complete information here.
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