The Peruvian Social Health Insurance Institution (EsSalud) submitted 25 hospital investment projects worth more than S/.3 billion (around US$950 million) to the Congress’ Labor Commission in order to strengthen and increase health services to benefit nearly 11 million insurance holders across the country.
According to EsSalud CEO Virginia Baffigo, investment projects include the construction of hospitals in Lima (in Ate, San Juan de Miraflores, La Victoria districts) Talara, Pasco, Cajamarca, Puno and Ica, among others. They also involve the implementation of oncology units in Trujillo, Junin, Ica and Cusco.
Baffigo referred that the social health insurance is aimed at protecting insured population under principles of quality, integrity, good corporate governance and efficiency, and thus it is not the policy of the government or the institution to privatize healthcare services.
In this sense, EsSalud’s head pointed out that during her administration more than S/.1.2 billion (about US$380 million) was invested in infrastructure, equipment and medicine in 2014, which resulted in the construction of five new hospitals in La Libertad, Tarapoto, Abancay, Callao and Villa Maria del Triunfo.
Accordingly, she affirmed all the investment in hospitals shows the commitment to strengthen assistance of almost 11 million insured.
According to official data, EsSalud is one of the most efficient organizations in terms of expenditure, which stood at 99.97% in 2014, the best level achieved so far.
She said 98% of the total medicine demand is supplied in pharmacies, and that medicine expenditure increased to S/.200 million (about US$63.3 million).
(END) NDP/LZD/RMB/MVB
Published: 5/27/2015