The strike to protect the rights of some is putting the rights of all of us at risk. A man died after being turned away from the San Rafael de Alajuela Hospital because most of the workers are on strike.
Mario Castro Calvo was told his situation was not “red” and therefore could be treated after 2pm in the ebais. Because of lack of medical attention he died at just 48 years old, leaving behind a grieving family.
The man’s sister explained that he had bronchopneumonia and could not breathe well. He was hypertensive and suffered diabetes as well. This does not sound like the profile of someone who should be turned away from urgent medical care.
He died three hours after the doctor refused to treat him. As if that weren’t bad enough, the hospital was nearly empty. It is understood that when hundreds of people are in the emergency room they treat the most urgent first but at the time there were only 20 patients there.
