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05/12/2020

Press Release No. 249, 2020

- The purpose is to guarantee the resource flow in hospitals, said Minister Fernando Ruiz.

Bogotá, May 12, 2020. In the Prevention and Action program with President Iván Duque, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Fernando Ruiz, explained the flow of resources to hospitals and financing strategies for the health sector.

In current resources, $17.5 trillion in UPCs and $1.3 in non-UPCs were transferred. In terms of debt write-downs of the accounts, $397 billion were transferred from April 2018 to May 2019; there was a portfolio purchase for $407 billion and the territorial End Point Agreement for $553 billion.

"As for the resources of territorial entities, $840 billion in master account balances and $104,000 in supply subsidies have been transferred for a total of $21.1 billion pesos that have been transferred from the different resource accounts that have benefited over 3,000 hospitals by direct transfer in the country," said Minister Ruiz.

As for other resources, the minister pointed out, in current resources of a Findeter-compensated rate, $257 billion will be transferred from May to June. "Resolution 731, 2020, issued yesterday, defined a minimum monthly advance payment for the resources that the EPSs have and which, as of today, have not been spent. This is directly transferred to the IPSs," said the head of the health ministry.

$4.7 trillion will be transferred for debt write-off, as estimated by EPSs for the Nation Endpoint Agreement "with a commitment to start transferring in June $1.2 trillion." The reserve has also been used for the payment of the debt with a maximum term of May 20 for up to $1.6 trillion, that is, the reserves of the EPSs will be supported to make direct transfers to the IPSs.

There will also be special items such as the bonus for health care human talent, "which we will be transferring, for $453 billion, when we get very close to the critical point of the pandemic," said Ruiz. Economic compensation for isolation in the subsidized system is for $350 billion, as well as the baskets of health services for covid-19, worth $4.6 trillion.

Lastly, the minister pointed out, there will be the resources of territorial entities that will include the payment of current operation, payroll and provision of services in public hospitals for $380 billion in a first transfer "and a second transfer that may cover an additional $80 billion," he said.

"It is an effort that is being made in the country so that the National Government can leverage our hospitals to keep them with a flow of funds, which implies managing the epidemic, paying their debts with workers and covering everything that is needed in safety equipment," said Ruiz.

Amazon

Minister Fernando Ruiz also spoke of the strengthening of measures in the Amazonas province, such as the mask as an essential element and that must be used by the entire population. "That is why we send 55,000 masks, in addition to the sending of resources to pay the new doctors and nurses who support the Leticia Hospital for $14 billion pesos."

Also, the minister said, other investments, an ambulance delivered by the Ministry of Health and another by the National Infrastructure Agency, ventilators and other actions in support of the infrastructure.