The Minister of the Presidency and president-elect, Laura Fernandezeliminated a project of the Christian Social Unity Party (PUSC) from the list of priorities that he had asked the fraction leaders to approve before the functions of the current deputies of the Legislative Assembly ended.
This is legislative file 24,015, by Congresswoman María Marta Carballo, on the hiring and training of medical specialists at the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).
This bill has 255 reiteration motions pending processing in the plenary session of Congress, which makes it impossible for it to advance before the end of the 2022-2026 legislative period and that caused Fernández to throw in the towel.
In her statements to the press, the president-elect did not refer to this decision to remove the proposal on medical specialists from the list of urgent plans.
The head of the National Liberation faction (PLN), Oscar Izquierdorevealed that this is how Laura Fernández explained it to her during the meeting.
Izquierdo explained that at the meeting this Monday, Laura Fernández explained to them, together with the Vice Minister of the Presidency for Parliamentary Affairs, Alejandro Barrantes, that this project has multiple observations that complicate its progress.
This Monday, the minister also met with the outgoing faction of the PLN to thank you for the approval of the credit for $770 million with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) for the expansion of the highway to San Ramon. In addition, he asked them to move forward with two other initiatives.
Fernández also announced that he will no longer promote the initiative of Maria Marta Carballo during the nine days left to the outgoing deputies, since it considers that it has several aspects that generate a need for further analysis.
Furthermore, the future president told them that, perhaps later, they could look at the project and make a decision, but for now it will not be a priority.
What does the project raise about specialists?
The idea of the Christian Social is to create a legal framework so that the Ministry of Health can declare a shortage of medical specialists in the CCSS and, in this way, doctors can be hired from universities located in member countries of the CCSS. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
These specialists would come to the country to provide services exclusively for the Fund, without requiring any additional requirements to the university degree they possess.
The declaration of inopia could only be given for a period of five years if the ministry creates a structural plan for the training of national specialists.
Additionally, the CCSS would be required to grant scholarships to send doctors to study abroad, to satisfy the need for specialists.
While Laura Fernández made this announcement in the meeting she held with Liberación, Carballo launched attacks on the Frente Amplio, a party she blames for the lack of progress of her proposal.
