Santa Cruz government to sue Health Ministry over dialysis debt

Santa Cruz's vice governor, Paola Aguirre, announced legal actions against the Ministry of Health, citing the national government's failure to pay outsourced clinics that provide dialysis to kidney failure patients. Patients have been on strike for 22 days, with treatments at risk of suspension due to mounting debts.

Aguirre expressed frustration, stating that the Minister of Health had promised a meeting to guarantee payments but ultimately "left us standing" by not attending. She accused the central government of continuing "the old habit of neglecting the regions' demands."

The regional government claims it has fulfilled its responsibilities, including delivering an agenda of demands to the Ministry of Health, but the crucial payments for dialysis services fall under the national government's purview. Aguirre also mentioned attempts to meet the minister in La Paz were unsuccessful.

This situation highlights ongoing tensions between regional and national authorities in Bolivia regarding healthcare funding and service provision, particularly for vulnerable patient groups.