In collaboration with the O’Higgins Health Service, the Regional Secretariat of the Ministry of Social Development and Family (SEREMI) recently launched the Medical Route in Rancagua, which consists of providing homeless people with services aimed at protecting their lives and preventing serious health problems caused by the weather conditions typical of winter.
For the implementation of this social program, 25 million pesos were allocated for its execution, for the delivery of outpatient medical care to people in the place where they spend the night.
The regional minister for Social Development in O’Higgins, Nayadeth Ahumada, indicated that this initiative has had a great impact on homeless people, since they do not go to health centers when they have a complex condition and that this process is important so that it can be applied in other communes in the region.
“This has allowed us to reconnect these people with their health center, but also to be able to generate preventive actions, as well as immunization processes in coordination with the Health Service,” said Ahumada.
The authority indicated that last year alone, through this Medical Route, more than 700 people were treated at street points, in terms of control and screening for situations that could be of greater risk, through tests for tuberculosis, HIV and other diseases.
Nayadeth Ahumada stressed that it is expected that 1,000 homeless people will be assisted and that this event will last 50 days and could be extended, depending on how things go in this process.
20 DAILY CARE IN 50 DAYS
Likewise, the Director of Health Services, Jaime Gutiérrez, stressed that they have a multidisciplinary team to bring health care to people who are homeless in Rancagua and they hope to do so in Rengo and San Fernando as well.
“This team has the ability to provide 20 visits a day for 50 days, and depending on the budget, they will try to extend it as best as possible and try to cover as many people as possible,” Gutiérrez said.
He also announced that the possibility of carrying out a dental operation, coupled with this street route, for these people is being discussed.
“We are committed to the health of all people in our region and that is why we are very pleased to be able to be part of this successful strategy that provides care to people living on the streets this year,” said the director of the Health Service in O’Higgins.
OPERATION THREE TIMES A WEEK
Gustavo Lizana, coordinator of the Ruta Médica 2024 Program, said that this route began on July 19, where they are acting three times a week, for a 50-day tour, for the entire homeless population or those with a device.
He reported that, through the Health Service of the region, in addition to medical care, integrated nursing and the link with the assistance network of the Health Service are provided, transferring patients, depending on the network, to the SAR or to the Franco Ravera Zunino Regional Hospital.
Lizana said that they will implement a dental operation that will take place during the third and fourth week of August. They are also working with the Seremi to take or screen for bacilloscopies in relation to tuberculosis and to maintain strict control for better care.
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