Subrogation services in the provincial capital are suspended at affiliated institutions of the Honduran Institute of Social Security (IHSS) in Santa Rosa de Copan and in nearby locations in the country’s western region.
Jenni Carlota García, the mother of twins, experienced one of the most difficult moments of her life when one of her two 4-year-old children required hospitalization even though he had insurance from IHSS. But assistance could not be obtained from the agency because the surrogacy clinic in Copán had suspended services 10 days ago.
“I went to the clinic and they told me that my son had pneumonia and needed to be admitted urgently. I went to the Social Security Office but they were closed and they were going to transfer me to San Pedro Sula but I couldn’t mobilize him , there is not even an ambulance here, the child’s condition is serious and I am in pain and have to go to a private clinic,” he said.
Garcia said that at the private medical center, they performed an X-ray on his son and found that the minor should be given emergency oxygen.
“I am a single mother, and my sister supported me and borrowed 18,000 lempiras for emergency treatment of the child. Unfortunately, we only adjusted the money for one day, and since he still needed to be hospitalized, I had to take him to the hospital.” After entering the private hospital, I went to the Western Hospital. “My mother said anxiously.
Garcia reported that it took almost 24 hours to get her son admitted to Western Hospital, during which time her child’s health suffered.
“The closure of insurance is regrettable because people cannot travel to San Pedro Sula and, moreover, people need to pay while the authorities only know how to increase their salaries.
In recent years, the Honduras Planned Parenthood Association (Ashonplafa) has provided subrogation services to IHSS, but last year IHSS accumulated a million-dollar debt due to nonpayment.
The suspension of services affects both public and private employees; in this sense, explains Jimena Cardona, Human Resources Manager at Flor de Copán Tabacalera, one of the largest tobacco industries in the West, many employees are affected.
“Our staff and their families have been affected by not receiving social care care. Worryingly, staff have had emergencies and canceled appointments but have received no response,” Cardona said.
“Our employees are not receiving the care they deserve and their well-being is not guaranteed. They have not responded to us since September 29.”
The social security authority in the Western Region has yet to provide information on the re-establishment of specialist health services in the Western Region, which has at least 10,000 direct affiliates and a further 7,000 indirect members.