The story of the musician who paid nearly $ 10,000 for medical care in Bolivia and sparked a diplomatic battle

Manuel Vilca, 35 years old, had traveled to Bolivia with members of his group La Mandieta with the dream of sharing his music in the neighboring country, but a road accident in the region of Oruro interposed in his desire: the young man was fired and suffered multiple fractures he had to be hospitalized urgently.

Vilca had planned his trip to Bolivia for some time: it was only the first destination of a tour in Latin America.

At the public hospital of Oruro, he was operated on a foot fracture and had to pay for the services, the sum of $ 121,312. The difficult medical situation led the young man to be transferred to a private clinic in Cochabamba, where, with the help of his family and friends, he was forced to pay another sum for $ 3,500.

In the first public health center, they did not notice that the young man was suffering, lumbar fracture, which appeared after having pbaded a scanner. However, the authorities of the private clinic told him that to continue the treatment, he had to pay the sum of 10 thousand dollars, impossible to face for the musician and his family.

The accident occurred on December 8, although the young man returned to Argentina last Wednesday after spending nearly two months in various clinics without receiving the necessary medical care. Efforts to return Manuel to Jujuy were handled by the Jujuy government, which had to pay an additional US $ 2,000 to leave the neighboring country.

This situation motivated the public letter that Gerardo Morales dedicated to the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales. Lasts that the Argentineans who visit this country receive an "inhuman treatment" and says: "Do you think, Mr. President? Do you think that we, the Argentines, must receive this treatment when an accident occurs in the territory? Bolivian? "It seems very unfair to me, Mr. President! I will not share the account of what we spend on health among the citizens of your country. Do you know why, president? Because we are different"

On Thursday morning, the Bolivian consul, Nelson Garachi Mamani, responded to Morales saying that the governor "was seeking a political return" and saying that only "medical badistance" should be "coordinated" in Vilca.