The Health Solidarity Fund (FOSALUD) conducted a day of extensive medical care in El Salvador during the August holidays, serving more than 64,000 people in different health facilities across the country, reports FOSALUD Director Carlos Núñez.
The medical care lasted from 6:00 am on August 1st to 6:00 am on August 7th. More than 2,000 people from more than 200 institutions participated, including 184 health units and 25 waiting centers. and 11 health offices. In addition, four bases of operations have been established in cooperation with the medical emergency system.
On this day, various types of medical services are provided to the public, covering a wide range of medical needs. Carlos Nunez emphasized that “FOSALUD provided approximately 64,198 people with various types of health care services, including medical consultations and specialized care.”
Among the received cases, a variety of diseases were treated, among which respiratory infections were the most prominent, increasing from 4,000 cases in 2022 to 9,000 cases in 2023. Likewise, there were significant increases in cases of several diseases. These mainly include:
pneumonia:
Compared with last year, the number of pneumonia cases has increased significantly. 61 cases were reported in 2022, while 189 cases were recorded this year.
diarrhea:
Another disease on the rise is diarrhea. During the 2022 holiday period, 724 cases of diarrhea were treated, with this number rising to 929 in 2023.
Carlos Nuñez emphasized that joint work between FOSALUD and the Ministry of Health is essential to maintain the balance of healthcare in the country. In addition, he stressed that preventive strategies, including vaccination, are being developed to prevent the spread of the disease and ensure the health of the people.
Nunes, on the other hand, mentioned that during the holiday period, the borders are strictly controlled and personnel are deployed sooner or later to verify the health status of those entering the country, whether they are nationals or foreigners, in order to prevent the spread of the disease.