Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20210914

A30 world news
Diamars 14 september 2021

Nicaragua gov’t squeezes doctors, talk of ‘health terrorism’

stitutions execute it.” discreetly,” the doctor said.
“They want to sell an image
Borgen, who himself has that the virus is controlled.”
been ill with COVID-19,
said that he did not know But she said her region was
of any doctors who had had seeing a heavy load of cases,
their licenses revoked or the local hospital ward devot-
been charged with a crime, ed to COVID-19 cases was
but that “many” had left the full and a colleague who had
country fearing that could been treating patients night
happen. and day died of the disease a
month ago. She, too, spoke
The government had already on condition of anonymity,
shown willingness to put fearing reprisals.
political pressure on health
workers. When big street pro- Dr. Eddy Valverde fled into
tests broke out in April 2018 exile in late June, weeks after
in response to a government the government began arrest-
change to the social security ing prominent opposition
system, the government told leaders. He had faced months
public health workers to not of threats and attacks on so-
treat injured protesters. cial media for speaking pub-
licly about the government’s
Those who disobeyed — handling of the pandemic.
some 400, according to Ar- Journalists from government
güello — were fired. Others outlets had called for revoca-
(AP) — Other countries Nicaragua after months of ing the pandemic, but The went into exile at that time. tion of his medical license.
have lured doctors out of harassment and threats. Associated Press identified
retirement, pushed medi- at least five who left because The pressure has continued He said independent doctors
cal students to the front Argüello maintains his own they felt government intimi- during the pandemic. have been the only source of
lines and buoyed medical tally of medical workers who dation. “I think it’s a decision reliable data about the pan-
personnel exhausted by died of COVID-19 and ac- you take when you feel your From the time Nicaragua demic. He is a member of the
COVID-19 cases, but in cuses the government of cre- physical safety is compro- started seeing its first coro- Nicaraguan Medical Unit,
Nicaragua doctors have ating a false sense of security mised,” Argüello said. navirus infections in March which was formed by doctors
been harassed, threatened that has cost lives. 2020, speaking of the pan- fired from public hospitals in
and sometimes forced In early July, Murillo spoke demic was taboo. Wearing 2018.
into exile for questioning “We are not working to re- of “fake doctors” giving “false a surgical mask in hospitals
official handling of the move a government,” the predictions and false surveys” became a political statement That organization, which
pandemic. doctor said from an undis- about the pandemic. “In life because administrators for- provided free consultations
closed country. “We are not everything has a cost and if bade hospital personnel from to COVID-19 patients, was
Vice President Rosario Mu- working to be an opposition we cause harm, harm will donning them. Masks could forced to close its offices in
rillo, who is also the first party. We are working like we come to us, we shouldn’t ex- make patients nervous, they July after months of harass-
lady, has accused doctors of would work with any patient pose ourselves to receive the said. ment from police.
“health terrorism” and of to look for a way to save his consequences,” she said on
spreading “false outlooks and life.” national television. Relatives and health workers Another organization made
news” by reporting that CO- reported secretive “express up of activists and indepen-
VID-19 has been far more Argüello, who worked for the Around that time, urologist burials” of COVID-19 vic- dent doctors called the Citi-
widespread than officials ac- Health Ministry during the José Luis Borgen was called tims by personnel in white zen Observatory has reported
knowledge. first Sandinista government, into the Health Ministry protective suits under cover 20 times the number of CO-
said he had ignored death and told to stop providing of darkness. La Prensa, Nica- VID-19 deaths — more than
As international health or- threats, but said he sensed a pandemic statistics differ- ragua’s main newspaper, re- 4,000 — than the govern-
ganizations warn of increas- change when Murillo spoke ent from the official num- ported in July that a Managua ment’s official number.
ing infections in Nicaragua publicly about doctors in- bers. He said he knows of funeral home had performed
and independent Nicaraguan venting things and made about a dozen doctors who 14 such burials in 10 days The government has been
doctors call for a voluntary clear the government would were summoned and told the with patients from three hos- reporting one COVID-19
quarantine to slow the spread not continue tolerating it. same. pitals in the capital. death per week for the past
of the delta variant of the nine months.
coronavirus, the government “My role as a health educator “They accuse us of giving Nicaragua’s health work-
has made clear that com- was going to be lost if they false news and generating ers have been hit hard by The Observatory called for
ments out of step with its line imprisoned me or silenced fear in the people,” Borgen the pandemic, too. At least Nicaraguans to join a “volun-
are unacceptable as President me,” he said. said. One doctor was told 160 medical personnel have tary quarantine” during the
Daniel Ortega seeks a fourth his medical license could died from COVID-19, statis- month of September in the
consecutive term. In comments that appeared be revoked and he could be tics the government has not face of “the pandemic peak
directed toward Argüello charged with spreading false shared, according to Argüel- and collapse of the health
Groups of doctors report and other doctors in exile, information. Borgen said he lo. Borgen said Friday that 88 system.”
much higher numbers than Murillo said this month that believes that doctor is no lon- those of those who died were
the government of virus in- “to carry out terrorism with ger in Nicaragua. doctors. Nicaragua started limited
fections and deaths from health topics is a sacrilege, it vaccinations in April, and the
COVID-19, the disease that is a crime.” Borgen was also summoned A doctor in the northwestern nation of some 6.5 million
can be caused by the coro- to the Attorney General’s city of Chinandega said phy- people has vaccinated more
navirus. And they have criti- Questions sent to the vice Office about treatment he sicians were unable to obtain than 520,000 adults older
cized the Sandinista govern- president about the alleged had given an opposition poli- coronavirus tests outside than 45, though it wasn’t
ment for promoting mass intimidation of doctors elic- tician sought by authorities. government hospitals — and clear if they had received two
gatherings. ited a thank you note from He said he viewed that as an even those are strictly lim- does or only one. The presi-
Murillo, but no additional attempt at intimidation. ited. dent said Thursday the gov-
Dr. Leonel Argüello, a phy- comment. ernment would begin vac-
sician who also is one of the “It’s all linked,” Borgen said. “They have it controlled and cinating people over age 30
country’s most prominent It is not clear how many doc- “When the vice president says if someone in a given case later this month.
epidemiologists, recently fled tors have left the country dur- something, the rest of the in- tests positive they handle it