Spanish
Santo Domingo.- The main trade union centrals of the country affirmed that the National Health Insurance (Senasa) constitutes one of the most important achievements of Dominican workers, and warned that it must be preserved and strengthened, as it is an institution that guarantees access to health for millions of citizens, especially the poorest.
The National Confederation of Trade Union Unity (CNUS), the Autonomous Classist Trade Union Confederation (CASC), and the National Confederation of Dominican Workers (CNTD) agreed in highlighting the positive impact of Senasa on the working population, both in the contributory and subsidized regimes, and rejected any attempt to weaken the country's only public ARS.
The president of CNUS, Rafael (Pepe) Abreu, emphasized that Senasa is the public insurance that guarantees that people who do not have regular employment can access health protection, "that is why independent workers are in Senasa, domestic workers are there, pensioners and retirees also belong to Senasa, who precisely in other ARS do not want them because of the high cost involved".
In that sense, he maintained that Senasa is the balance of the social security of the Dominican Republic and therefore must be protected by all sectors of society. Abreu invited the Government, the political class, entrepreneurs, unions, and civil society to join efforts and "create a protective shield to continue making Senasa the counterbalance insurance it has become in the Dominican Republic." Meanwhile, Jacobo Ramos, president of the CNTD, stated that “Senasa is one of the greatest achievements that the workers of the Dominican Republic have had. I think that this institution must be preserved, its operation must be guaranteed to continue forward.” Ramos maintained that the Government should fully support Senasa, considering that it is a key institution to guarantee access to the health of workers and the poorest sectors of the country, who, along with their families, depend on the services for decent medical care. On his part, Gabriel del Río Doñé, president of the CASC, expressed his concern about the recent attacks against Senasa: "It is an institution that must be kept firm and with great precision. Sectors want to eliminate Senasa and are on a negative campaign against Senasa. Senasa has more than 5 million affiliated people, poor people in our country, who receive the services, free services, undoubtedly." From Río Doñé, he affirmed that Senasa must be preserved because it directly responds to the needs of the most vulnerable population. "It must be maintained because people need it, it is a necessity for the poorest, for the most needy, for those who cannot pay insurance with a contributory regime, but are in Senasa receiving care. Senasa is to serve the poor, it is not to serve the wealthy," he expressed. He insisted that the government has the concrete mission of maintaining Senasa and valued the support of President Luis Abinader for this entity because "it is a service that is given free of charge to the poorest and most needy in our country," he concluded.
