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Daily News - 8 February 2001
Doctors go on 24-hour strike in public hospitals
The Dominican Medical Association ordered a 24-hour work stoppage in Santo Domingo's public hospitals, which might soon be extended to the rest of the country. The newspaper El Siglo attributed its motivation to resistance to the new Social Security bill that advanced in Congress and would provide for hospital or doctor treatment to paid on the basis of the number of patients served. Today doctors are salaried irrespective of the number of patients treated, and even though they may have treated none. This would change if the Social Security is passed.
"Let me put it simply," said William Jana, "as a result of this new law, when a child is born, it is born with Dominican citizenship and with the protection of the State known as Social Security. With numbers that identify them as citizens, they get all the benefits, including health insurance, labor accident protection, child care, unemployment insurance and a pension at age 65."
The bill requires employers to pay 14% while the State will invest RD$6 billion, and employees will contribute at a rate of 10%. The newspaper El Caribe explains that the new system needs initial organizational efforts before taking effect and a ten-year transitional period to universal coverage.
The President cites political reasons for canceling Haiti trip
Following the cancellation of his visit to Haiti, President Hipolito Mejia explained that the principal reason was to preclude his becoming a focus of political conflict within the neighboring nation, by aligning himself either with President-elect Jean Bertrand Aristide or his opponents. The opposition in Haiti has rejected the validity of the election that brought Aristide to power. Mejia spoke shortly after canceling the trip he was scheduled to take at 8:30 a.m. and which was suspended, initially citing security reasons. "There's no problem so far. But I didn't want to become the cause of conflict there, neither for the opposition nor for President Aristide."
DR wins Caribbean Series
The Aguilas Cibaeñas trounced the Naranjeros de Hermosillo to attain the crown in the XXXI Caribbean Series. The Dominican team beat the Mexican 5-3, in an outstanding game pitched by Miguel Batista, who dominated Mexican batters for seven innings. A home run made David Ortiz the star for the evening. This is the second triumph of the Aguilas in three years and the fourth in the team's history. The odds on favorite to take the championship, the Aguilas started out slowly, loosing their first two games. The series ended with the Dominicans (4-2), Mexico (3-3), Venezuela (3-3) and Puerto Rico (2-4).
Explanation of the attempt against the life of the gas station owner
A woman who accompanied Juan Antonio Turbi, the headline making gasoline station owner, described the incident in which an attempt was made to take Turbí's life. She said that on the evening of Tuesday, February 6th, as they drove their Range Rover along Estrella Sadhala Avenue in the City of Santiago, two men approached on a motorcycle. They wore helmets and dark glasses and so she could not comment on their appearance. Two bullets struck Turbí ­ one passed through the left elbow and entered his chest and the other the other lodged in his lower neck. He is recovering in the Corominas Hospital. Dr. Nelson Baez Noyer described Turbi's condition as stable.
Turbí owns several gasoline stations in Santiago, La Romana and Santo Domingo, where he refunds two pesos per gallon on every sale on Sunday, thereby effectively selling gasoline at two pesos below the official rate.
In an interview with the magazine, Rumbo, last week, Turbi said that he had received a death threat for selling gas below the market price while attending a gasoline retailing meeting in Bavaro. He explained that he believes in "free enterprise and competition in the consumer's interest." Turbi's first tactic was to lower the price of gasoline at the pump. However, the gasoline retailers association prevailed on the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to prohibit the sale of gas below the governmentally fixed rate. Turbi promptly introduced a rebate system.
The Santiago correspondent of Listin Diario speculated that the assassination attempt might be related to Turbi's involvement in mortgage foreclosures, in which he has been involved. Turbi began his business career working with lawyers on foreclosure proceedings as was involved in many disputes as a result. Prior to this case, he has been involved in several violent incidents, including an attempt to burn his car.
Government modernization unit renamed
The Mejia administration issued Decree 27-01 yesterday, which created the National Council for Governmental Reform (CONARE). The new entity displaces the Commission for Reform and Modernization of the State. The announced purpose of CONARE is "modify Dominican institutions to be more democratic, efficient and transparent."
Aristide will create double nationality for Haitians
This morning's Hoy reports that in his inaugural speech, Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide expressed his intention to maintain close relations with the DR, and announced that both countries would collaborate in the creation of a joint bilateral corporation that would execute various projects along the border. According to Hoy, Aristide declared that he would sponsor a constitutional amendment to allow Haitians living abroad to enjoy double nationality. The Haitian Constitution currently provides that the children of Haitian nationals can only be Haitians.
First day of propane gas sales produces chaos
President Hipólito Mejia said that he would not be able to resolve the propane gas impasse until next week. Mejia announced that effective Wednesday, February 7th, the cost of a gallon of propane gas would be RD$8, the price on the day he took office last August 16th. His government had raised the price to RD$19. Nevertheless, gas distributors refused to sell the propane at the new price until the gas they had purchased at the old price was exhausted.
Mejia admitted that when the price reduction was announced, the government had not anticipated the need for an administrative mechanism to differentiate between propane gas for domestic use and transportation or industrial use. He asked for a week to straighten out the matter.
New hours to buy cheap gas
The government and the Gas Bottling and Distributing Association announced that the new hours for the purchase of propane gas cylinders at RD$8 would be from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2 to 5 p.m. The price of a 100-pound canister at the plant is DR$180, and the price is DR$250 delivered home.
Carnival 2001
Presidente Beer announced its sponsorship of the February "Carnaval Dominicano 2001" to be celebrated in Santo Domingo and other Dominican cities starting February 19th. The finale of the event will be a giant parade of floats down George Washington Avenue on 5 March. Speaking for the beer company, Augusto Ramirez said that folklore events will characterize the celebration in all Bonao, Santiago, La Vega, Puerto Plata, Moca. Valverde-Mao, and Santo Domingo. The program will include 15 concerts featuring the country's leading merengue groups.
Alex Rodriguez visits
Alex Rodriguez, the highest paid baseball player in Big Leagues is visiting the DR. A courtesy call on President Hipolito Mejia is being squeezed into his tight schedule. Rodriguez plays for the Texas Rangers under a 10-year contract scheduled to pay him US$252 million. Rodriguez is a son to Dominicans.
Big fire in the Central Range
Listin Diaro reports that a huge blaze is raging in Loma de Oro in the Cordillera Central.
Access to the area is proving difficult for fire-fighting personnel who have been brought in by helicopter. The Deputy Minister of the Environment for Forrest Resources, Donald Castllo Diaz, indicated that the conflagration began last Tuesday. He said that between February and May, forest fires are common due to lack of rain in the mountainous region.
He said that the current fire is very large, but he had been informed that it is loosing intensity because it came across a trail that has slowed its advance.
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