Calvary lived for the surgery of a retired Venezuelan general and his wife: military medical insurance covered 1.4% of the costs

What is happening with the military's active and retired armed forces in terms of medical badistance is serious. Retired army general José Gregorio Montilla Pantoja recounts the experience he experienced when his wife had to undergo emergency surgery for acute appendicitis.. The military hospital does not work, the clinic he visited did not accept it because they rejected the badurance of the Ministry of Defense. She received a clinic that billed nearly two thousand dollars, but military insurance covered only 27 cents.

Montilla Pantoja comes from the promotion "Cnel Antonio Nicolás Briceño" of 1982. As a colonel, he was inspector general of the political police of the DISIP. He occupied all the command posts of the military police, he was also commander of the 5th. Jungle Division and Theater of Operations No. 5. When Hugo Chávez named him Venezuelan Military Attaché to Germany, having already received the German government's petition, decided to resign for personal reasons.

Account that "the military hospital does not work in Táchira"and he is obliged to take his wife to a clinic in the area."The operation came out very expensive, seven million bolivars (about two thousand dollars). Imagine, for a appendicitiswhich is a delicate but simple operation. The basic police have covered 100,000 bolivars, or 0.27 cents"

The division is asked "how is it possible that an armed force consisting of two thousand generals is not able to plan to protect and protect the health of the members of the armed institution". Cataloga to Vladimir Padrino López "as the worst Defense Minister since the time of Francisco de Miranda".

Did not they look after his wife at the San Cristobal Military Hospital?
This military hospital does not have a doctor. There are no drugs, there is nothing. I did not go there before the emergency because I knew I was going to waste my time there. The medical staff is new and they are short of staff. Initially, we went to an emergency clinic, but the defense is opposed to a veto. We asked a doctor to take care of us and after taking the exams the next day they told us that we should make it work as quickly as possible. We looked for a clinic that could receive insurance, but imagine our surprise when we discovered the cost of the operation; very good care, operated by laparoscopy, excellent surgeon but charged 2,400,000 euros in professional fees. And in total, they were 7 million rubles.

Is this the first time you have such a situation?
In 30 years of professional career and retirement, I have always used Horizontes Insurance and my expenses have always been covered. And what did not cover me with the basic police, I had the opportunity to cover the complementary policy. Imagine that the additional policy covers 40,000 bolivars.

How were the medical care and insurance before?
This has changed a lot: during my professional career, I used Seguros Horizonte; my children were born in a clinic, my wife intervened several times, my mother's illness and the hospitalization of my father, all covered by Seguros Horizonte with the basic premium, which is supported by the Ministry of the defense. We had recourse, if I wanted, as I did, to the purchase of the complementary premium, which covered what the Basic had not done.

Also related to the funeral home?
Yes, Seguros Horizonte covered the death of parents.

Is your retired officer's premium different from that of the badet?
No, it's the same bonus. What you pay extra, it's the complementary premium

How has the army's attention changed in military hospitals?
The situation has deteriorated in Nicolás Maduro's government, even more during the last four or five years of Padrino López's tenure as Defense Minister. We have reached the level at which military hospitals do not serve, which represents a significant deficit in drugs and professional staff. The staff leaves. Taking a family member to the San Cristóbal Military Hospital, for example, in case of emergency such as appendicitis, is running the risk of dying or dying. to be referred to a clinic. The only military hospital half served is Caracas.

Who is the general manager Montilla Pantoja of this situation?
I hold Nicolás Maduro accountable as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, responsible for ensuring the health, social security and welfare of armed members of the armed forces. Institution and their families. They are not able to ensure that members of the armed forces, including themselves, enjoy a good premium of insurance.

Shortage of resources?
Look, there are many companies that the armed forces manage, including those in the mining, construction, and so on. whose benefits must go to members of the armed forces. What are they doing with these resources? Because they're not going to benefit the armed forces.

So that we can explain the general situation, I understand that you do not pay the basic insurance policy, but the complementary one.
It's like that. The basic policy is paid by the Ministry of Defense. You get a discount for one, I do not know if that includes this insurance. For 20 years, I paid extra police and look what happened with my wife 's operation; it speaks of the deterioration of the service and the institution.

How long has the deterioration of services come?
It is difficult to say precisely. What is notorious is that this is happening with the Maduro government, because in the time of Hugo Chávez, the deterioration was not so noticeable, because the insurance covered what was needed.

General Padrino López said the other time that everything related to medical care was covered by the army. Does this happen only with badets?
What Padrino said is completely wrong. Neither retired nor active. In military hospitals, they experience the same crisis as the rest of the hospitals: medical staff and nurses have left because of low wages. There are almost no specialists.

What is the response of the Social Security Institute of the IPSFA Armed Force?
What can be done with IPSFA is help for them to consider whether or not they can cancel something; Sometimes they do it, sometimes no. There is a reserve fund for major cases, but they do not cover them either.