President of Ecuador traveled to United States for spinal cord surgery

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, 65, traveled this Sunday to the American city of Miami, where he will undergo spinal cord surgery, the aim of which is to regain the usual mobility of a leg.

Lasso, accompanied by his wife, María de Lourdes Alcívar, flew to Miami from the airport in the coastal city of Guayaquil, but before starting his flight, he told reporters that he would not hand over the chef de the state to its vice-president, Alfredo Borrero. . “I continue to command the post of President of the Republic ”, declared the President after indicating that he will exercise his functions by telematics, since this possibility allows technology.

Lasso, who took office on May 24 and after greeting Ecuadorians, who celebrate Father’s Day today, gave some details about the surgery he will undergo.

“I’m going to the city of Miami, I’m going to have spinal cord surgery, it’s a moderately invasive operation, and I’ll be in the clinic for three days,” Lasso added.

He also announced that He will enter the clinic next Tuesday and the operation will take place on Wednesday. “I hope to go out on Thursday or Friday”, then spend a few days in recovery therapy, in order to regain the mobility of the leg, he added.

Lasso, what currently walking with a cane, said the main task he leaves during his absence is to strengthen the covid-19 vaccination program, which is in charge of Vice President Borrero and Health Minister Ximena Garzón.

The president expressed his satisfaction that the vaccination rate in the country has reached 80,000 daily inoculations, a figure which, he said, can improve thanks to the logistic plan implemented by his government.

In addition, “we are receiving vaccines on a more continuous basis” from pharmaceutical companies with which Ecuador has provided doses to date, added the head of state.

Lasso called on the population to be vaccinated according to the schedule that was established in coordination with the National Electoral Council (CNE), an entity that provided its database.

He said they have been thinking about expanding the age range for vaccination, which is currently in a phase for those over 50 and taking into account that the agglomeration issues registered weeks ago have been resolved.

Vaccination is an “act of responsibility” vis-à-vis society and, therefore, “as we reach a high number of vaccinated, we will come to normality more quickly”, which will also allow “to revive the economy, “said the leader.

There are currently 316 vaccination sites and more than 900 vaccination squads in the country, which can be expanded if there is greater demand, Lasso explained.

In addition, he insisted that Ecuador has made a deal with Chinese pharmaceutical company Cansino to receive around six million doses of its vaccine in a single application. New batches of vaccine from China Sinovac are also expected to arrive in July and August and negotiations are progressing with other pharmaceutical companies, he explained.

He said he hopes this week there will be news of the arrival of vaccines from other sources which his country is currently supplied with.

Ecuador has had a national covid-19 vaccination plan since January 21, during which time it received 5,017,469 doses from various international pharmaceutical companies.

According to the government, 2,200,000 doses come from the Chinese Sinovac, 1,427,469 from the American Pfizer and 1,370,000 from the British AstraZeneca.

The government has proposed to vaccinate nine million people, or 60 percent of the population, until the first days of September.

With information from the EFE

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