Enrique Paris has permeated the Ministry of Health with his style. With more or less criticism than its predecessor, it marked a before and after. Although he tells Publimetro that “it has been very exhausting”, he focuses on patients, and on overcoming the health crisis. This, despite the fact that definitions that “bring controversy” can be adopted.
-You come to the Government with the Minsal in the eye of the hurricane How have these months been for you?
It has been a major challenge, a bit exhausting, especially since managing the numbers is what concerns people the most. But in reality one is concerned with the people, with the patients. It was hard work, very hard, with a team, yes, very good.
-And how have you seen the patients?
Incredibly, the people who are coming out of the covid appreciate the work of the public system. There was a bad image of the public system, but all the patients give thanks. There are people who have regained confidence in the system. Obviously we also have to mourn more than 10,000 deceased, 15,000 if we add those who are in doubt, and we are not going to recover them.
-Minister Paris, key weeks are coming to define health regulations for the plebiscite. What position do you have?
We appoint an expert from Dipol to be at the meetings and I speak with Patricio Santamaría repeatedly. We are concerned about whether or not positive patients should vote. That’s why I offered the help of the Ministry’s pandemic advisory committee. What is up to us is to issue protocols and ensure that they are complied with, but it is not up to us to decide whether or not to hold the plebiscite. Constitutionally, you have to do it and there is a certain date. The Ministry has to abide by that and prepare protocols that are perfect to avoid the spread of the virus.
-Is this regulation going to be enough? Even for COVID-positive people to vote?
The security conditions are going to be given. My question is regarding positive covid. I think that by that date, God willing, we will have fewer active patients. If it stays low, and millions of people are going to vote, I think that the positive covid should not go to vote. And this is my opinion, not the Ministry’s. I think they are going to scare other people, and that could lower participation.
The other measures will run yes or yes, Chile is capable of doing it. My question is with the positive covid. I must meditate on that part, as it is a collision of rights. I defend the issue of health, but I also think about the constitutional issue. Anyway it is something that I am not 100% clear.
-The optimism regarding the advance of covid-19 has been criticized. How well are we?
Fortunately, we have been seeing a decrease in the virus. Obviously there are days when it increases, or regions where there are more cases, but the general trend has shown a decrease. This is reflected in a lower occupancy of ICU beds, in a much lower number of positive CRPs – around 6.7% – in the decrease in deaths and in the distinction of cases per day. That does not mean that we have to claim victory. You are always worried. Every day that I am waiting for the figures, one is restless.
-Has the Step by Step Plan been effective? There are mixed opinions.
Yes, there are people who say ‘they are going to send us to the slaughterhouse’ – which I find horrible – and people who say, ‘open everything’. That is the difficult thing about that situation. There is criticism because we are going too slow, or because it is considered that we are going too fast. And step by step is very slow. There are five steps, there are people who believe that from quarantine to total freedom, and no. But you see that people are not respecting the distance, they take off their masks to talk or smoke. I think that needs to be reinforced.
It must be recognized that there has been a slight increase in cases, but 30% of cases are asymptomatic, we are detecting them because we are doing more tests.
-And that has gone hand in hand with questions about the traceability mechanisms.
Some research centers say that traceability must be done when symptoms begin. But, how are we going to do traceability like this if 30% of the population are asymptomatic. We prefer to start screening when we have a positive result. What we do advise is that it be consulted early.
-Does it rule out shortcomings there?
What they are right about (the centers that question the figures) is in the proportion of contact cases, that is, how many people were with them. But if you ask a person, they don’t remember everyone they were with. It is easy in a family or office. It is not that we do not want to do traceability, nor that we are not making efforts, but identifying all the contacts is difficult. That is why we are making an agreement with universities.
-Have the systems in primary care been improved?
The reality is that in Chile there are rich and poor municipalities. That is why I have dedicated myself to identifying all the places that indicated that they were not happy with the protocol that the Minsal had sent. I met with all of them and we offered all the help of the Ministry, for which we are going to transfer more than 2,100 million to them to reinforce the issue of traceability. We are also willing to provide technological support. Hopefully they would also work in coordination with the universities.
-The pandemic has raised the urgent need to modernize the State.How are they going to advance in that?
We have revitalized the Digital Hospital, which can help a lot. In fact, traceability can be done from there. We are looking for more technicians and improving everything that involves remote diagnosis, controls of a large number of pathologies and psychological help. That will remain in time, there will be more remote care.
The problem is that many times, the information that is in the electronic medical records of primary care does not communicate well with the central system. That is not difficult to do. You have to buy systems that manage to integrate the information. We are working on that.
-There is talk of a break in the Minsal. How true are these statements?
I have no difference with the undersecretaries. They have all my confidence, and I think they are doing well. Articles have come out that raise the distance between them, but it is not true. It is likely that there have been differences, but at least under the current leadership of the Ministry this is not the case. I see them working very well. Obviously in any team, suddenly, there are different opinions, but there is no breakdown or internal fight.
The political future of Enrique Paris
-How do you see your political future?
I have no political future. When the President determines that I should no longer continue as minister, when the government ends, hopefully, my “political” work will end. Within the sectoral ministries this is a technical ministry. I have no political ambition or projection.
– Because of the costs?
No. Because it is not part of my life project, I do not have it planned that way. I entered the Ministry because the challenge presented by the President seemed interesting to me, and I want to support him. I participated in the health project and I am collaborating, but I do not have or want to have a political project. I end up as a minister and go home.
It has not been an easy period also, it is exhausting
I calm down reading. The disorder has occurred from the point of view of fatigue, I am late, I usually go to my children’s house, but it has meant exhaustion. Sometimes tweets and attacks on social networks make me very stressed. Those things hurt me, because people don’t have to meddle in your private life, besides, without knowing anything. But contact with people gives me strength, but I have no project in mind. On the contrary, I was thinking of going to live outside of Santiago, and this is a new challenge.
– .
