Fredis de Jesús Reyes Agüero, director of the Salvador B. Gautier University Hospital resigned effective 10 January 2022 motivated by the lack of support from the National Health Service (SNS). The SNS is the government entity that manages public hospitals. Reyes Aguero is the second director of a major public health center to resign in recent weeks.
He complained that he has not received the resources requested after a year and five months at the job. He said there had been enough time for the authorities to remodel the old university hospital. He said the SNS had made the necessary evaluations, but has not begun to work on the building. He said the SNS also did not meet requirements for the retirement of health care staff, he had requested.
He complained that the Ministry of Public Health did not meet its promise to take advantage of the Christmas holidays to renovate some areas.
Despite his resignation, Reyes Agüero said that he will continue to head the Orthopedics Unit of the Salvador Gautier hospital.
Dr. Reyes’s resignation follows that of Dr. Alfred Cruz of the Arturo Grullón children’s hospital in Santiago for similar reasons.
Like Reyes Agüero, the director of the Dr. Arturo Grullón University Regional Children’s Hospital in Santiago, Dr. Alfred Cruz resigned a few weeks ago, alleging that his decision was personal and due to lack of support from the government. Dr. Cruz considered that the government should give more support and attention to Dominican children.
“If there was more interest and more effort, great things could be achieved in this hospital,” he had said when resigning. “It is unfortunate to see how diseases in children increase disproportionately and even worse, not having the resources to offer them a service. It is sad to see the cases that arrive and even though the doctors have the training, they do not have the resources or the tools to return them to health,” said the Santiago pediatrician.
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Saludnews
5 January 2022