Venezuela INCREASES health spending for 2010; poverty further reduced in 2009

[Peace Patriot]

Some highlights:

---the National Vaccination Plan will immunize 95 percent of the Venezuelan population against 14 diseases in more than 7 million medical attention centers throughout the country.

---a total of 114 new health projects.

---US$93 million for phase III of the national health program--technological and infrastructure improvements.

---$21 million for the fight against dengue, malaria, and chagas disease; US$186 million for other hospital improvements throughout the country.

---90% of improvement projects will be completed by January 2011.


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According to the president of Venezuela’s National Statistics Institute (INE), Elías Eljuri, poverty in Venezuela declined to 23% in the second semester of 2009, while extreme poverty has fallen to 6%.

This contrasts substantially with poverty rates of 70% and extreme poverty of 40% in 1996, before the election of Venezuela’s current president, Hugo Chávez.

“It would seem that many of these (opposition) politicians and intellectuals have forgotten that when they themselves were governing, there was 100% inflation and 70% poverty,” Elujri said on the television program “Between Journalists” broadcast by the private media channel, Televen.

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Elujri also noted that Venezuela is the most equal country in Latin America, according to the internationally recognized inequality measurement, the GINI coefficient.

The president of INE has defended the validity of the institute’s statistics, stating that they have the backing of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the World Bank.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/5173

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All the "doom and gloom" you see in the corpo-fascist press about Venezuela is bullshit. Venezuela has landed on its feet from the Bushwhack-induced worldwide depression, as I said it would--and as evidenced by this increase in health spending this year, and the major cuts in poverty last year, with oil prices plunged to $40/barrel last year (now on the rise). They are in a great position--having faced with first wave of world bankster hits coming off of five years of sizzling economic growth, 2003 to 2008 (with the most growth in the private sector), $50 billion in international cash reserves, low debt, low unemployment and renegotiated oil contracts that give Venezuela a much better deal. (They just signed eight more multinationals, from as many countries, to new oil contracts, on Venezuela's terms.)

You will never here about any of this from the corpo-fascist press. They NEVER EVER tell us ANYTHING positive about Venezuela. So I'm posting this info from a Chavez government-friendly web site as BALANCE. Yes, the article quotes government leaders. Gee, ain't that a wonder? --leftist leaders getting to say their say, without it all falling into the black hole where information should be in corpo-fascist 'news' articles?

[Judi Lynn]

1. Great to see this news. You're right, we'll NEVER see it from any of the corporate media.

That's just not going to happen until they get a president (US puppet) who puts U.S. American interests ahead of the interests of the Venezuelan majority.

Similar info. from another source:

March 05, 2010
Venezuela Strengthens National Health System, Marks Advance in Fight Against Poverty

~snip~
According to the president of Venezuela’s National Statistics Institute (INE), Elías Eljuri, poverty in Venezuela declined to 23% in the second semester of 2009, while extreme poverty has fallen to 6%.

This contrasts substantially with poverty rates of 70% and extreme poverty of 40% in 1996, before the election of Venezuela’s current president, Hugo Chávez.

“It would seem that many of these politicians and intellectuals have forgotten that when they themselves were governing, there was 100% inflation and 70% poverty,” Elujri said on the television program “Between Journalists” broadcast by the private media channel, Televen.

More:
http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2010/03/venezuela-strengthens-national-health.html

[Peace Patriot]

2. Thanks for the additional ref! nt

[protocol rv]

3. A little history of the health crisis in Venezuela

August 2005

Chavez announces overhaul of health system

"Venezuela's President Chavez said yesterday that his government would completely overhaul its ailing health care system in the next two years, mostly by purchasing state-of-the-art medical equipment from abroad. The plan, known as Barrio Adentro III (Inside the Barrio III), involves the expenditure of nearly $2.5 billion from Central Bank reserves that the National Assembly recently dedicated to a $6 billion special development fund. Chavez made the announcement during his weekly television program Aló Presidente, which took place in one of Caracas‚ military hospitals. Chavez took the opportunity to announce that all of Venezuela's 13 military hospitals would from now on be open to the public.

Already since the time before Chavez came into office in 1998, Venezuela's hospital and medical system was considered to be in a shambles. Insufficient hospital beds and supplies meant that patients had to bribe doctors and to bring their own medical supplies and instruments if they wanted treatment. The situation in the country‚s hospitals had hardly changed during Chavez's presidency. However, in early 2003 the government began Mission Barrio Adentro, which brought tens of thousands of Cuban doctors to Venezuela to provide free primary care in the poorest neighborhoods, which reduced the pressure on hospitals somewhat."

http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/venezuela/3444.html


September 25, 2009

Chavez declares national health emergency

"In Venezuela, the Washington-backed right-wing opposition continues to ramp up its propaganda campaign, using its control of the private media, against the government and Venezuelan people. In most cases, the propaganda is based on lies and distortions. However, in some cases it takes advantage of weaknesses in the revolution resulting - a result of bureaucracy, corruption, internal power struggles and attempts to stifle popular participation that pervade the old state structures.

Chavez said an "emergency situation" existed in the health sector. He said 2000 local medical clinics that were part of Mission Barrio Adentro, the popular government-run program that provides free health care to the poor, were no longer functioning due to "neglect on the part of everyone"."

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4818

February 10, 2010

Minister Carlos Rotondaro quit the Ministry of Health.

[protocol rv]

4. how do you like the doctors' pay raise?

The just announced a 40 % pay raise for doctors. It was a good time to do it, because things were getting really bad in the hospitals, with the doctors refusing to work.

Now, with the new pay scale, they make a basic wage of almost $700 per month! This should help reduce the health crisis. All they need to do now is get them some medicine and equipment, and put some police at the hospitals so the bad guys won't rob the doctors and patients inside, as they're prone to do.