Opposition Mayors Protest Health Care Cuts at La Moneda, Warn of Impact on Primary Care Services

Original article: Alcaldes llegan a La Moneda por recortes en salud: advierten impacto en la atención primaria Opposition mayors protested at La Moneda against cuts to public health, warning of reduced services, increased workloads, and potential layoffs in primary health care. On Monday, May 11, opposition mayors delivered a letter at La Moneda to express their discontent over public health funding cuts, which they claim threaten the entire health system. The mayors were accompanied by health organizations and community members in a peaceful demonstration outside the presidential palace.

Before submitting the letter, Cerro Navia’s mayor, Mauro Tamayo, read the letter signed by 15 mayors. He expressed the deep concern and disapproval of the mayors regarding proposed health measures and outlined their requests: 1. Increase funding for programs that support Primary Health Care (APS) within the 2027 Budget.

2. Update and make transparent the calculations for per capita funding and the composition of resources assigned to the APS network. 3.

Halt the reduction of programs such as the PRAPS. 4. Strengthen the operational capacity of the APS, especially in light of rising costs (e.

g. , fuel) affecting their operations. 5.

Review the policies associated with health universalization. The mayors also raised particular concerns regarding the potential discontinuation of 24 health programs primarily executed in the APS, which would shift the burden of cuts to municipalities that manage the health network and their staff—potentially leading to increased workloads or job losses. “Among the at-risk programs are essential initiatives for providing medication for chronic diseases, mental health services and suicide prevention, palliative care, elderly care, health repair programs, dental health, and various access and equity strategies for vulnerable groups.

Their cancellation would compromise the current care model and have the most severe consequences for those reliant on the public system,” they highlighted in their letter. Furthermore, they cautioned that such significant cuts could lead to greater strain on emergency services, longer waiting lists, more preventable deaths, and ultimately higher costs for the state, alongside the evident human cost. They reiterated their willingness to engage in technical and political dialogue to reconcile fiscal responsibility with effective health rights protection.

In an interview with El Ciudadano, Joel Olmos, the mayor of La Cisterna, explained that there are two types of cuts being implemented this year, one being a $400 million reduction to the Primary Health Care Reinforcement Program (PRAPS), which translates to 30,000 fewer health consultations. He noted plans to cut 23 PRAPS programs and reduce another 15 PRAPS by 15%, potentially resulting in 100,000 less appointments available to residents of La Cisterna across various health sectors, from pharmacy funds to home palliative care, stating, “This will certainly bury public health in terms of meeting the most critical needs of the population. ” Following the delivery of the letter, he indicated they met with the head of cabinet in the first citizen care unit, who committed to arrange a meeting with Health Minister May Chomali and Education Minister María Paz Arzola, the former regarding health cuts and the latter regarding the transfer of the SLEP.

However, he declared that municipalities must separate these discussions. He also pointed out the contradiction of proposing cuts of 2. 5% or 3% to public health while reducing taxes for the wealthiest and lowering property taxes for mansions in Lo Barnechea.

“One must reflect on prioritizing health, education, housing, and security; these should not be the areas we cut back on, especially anything associated with municipalities. I question: why not cut defense spending instead? Do we really need more warplanes and such when the populace is not accessing their basic human right to health?

” the mayor contended. Lastly, he referred to a performance he and a group of mayors conducted at La Moneda, carrying a coffin to symbolize the death of a program, noting: “It graphically illustrated the concept of death: the death of a human right to health. The absence of health equates to death.

Thus, death to the program and the people we serve. 100,000 appointments pertain to La Cisterna for 2027; when projected nationally, it amounts to millions of appointments. This is critical, and we believe it must be stopped,” he concluded.

Additionally, the El Ciudadano team spoke with Gislena Reyes Vergara, president of the Metropolitan Federation of Municipal Health, FREMESAM, representing primary health care workers in the southern and southeastern services. Reyes stated that these cuts occur in a critical environment, exacerbated by decades of underfunding. According to her, primary health care has long been chronically underfunded, with per capita funding far below necessary levels according to studies and World Health Organization standards.

She added that any cuts would deepen existing insecurities: impacting service delivery, staff, facilities—none of which would have funding this year. Moreover, Reyes explained that the situation worsens with layoffs, unfilled positions, and budget restrictions, leading to further decreases in public coverage and opening the door for private providers. Even the slight reduction in announced cuts is viewed as inadequate in light of structural deficits.

“Today, we see a stronger push than even Pinochet dared to do during the dictatorship: annihilating public health to privatize maximum services,” she criticized. She also questioned why the state pays significantly more to the private sector for the same services than to the public sector, enriching clinics instead of investing in infrastructure and primary care. Furthermore, she warned that this trend has deepened since the 2005 reforms, with sustained expansion in purchasing private services.