Privatization of Health Care

Every morning, on our way to Altos de Jardines, we pass the most incredible mural: it covers an entire wall along the side of the road, and it barely fit in one frame when I tried to take a picture from across the street. The colorful painting depicts several workers standing in line at a clinic, a woman visiting a provider with her young child, and--most noticeably--swarms of Salvadorans marching in protest behind a banner that reads "La Salud Es Un Derecho, No Una Mercancia." Along the bottom, the tagline boldly states "No a la Privatización de la Salud" ("No to the Privatization of Health Care").

Although the health care system in El Salvador is still technically socialized, the system is truly in transition. El Salvador was the first Central American country to sign on to DR-CAFTA, the free trade agreement with the United States that (among many other things) mandated the privatization of health care in El Salvador. The Salvadorans, however, have their own opinions about the matter: in March 2003, for example, over 250 thousand people staged a protest to the transition to privatization. Other demonstrations have occurred during the past four years, as well.

Although privatization of health care in El Salvador raises a host of concerns, one of the primary problems is the decreased public access to medical care that would likely affect much of the country. Privatization would, in essence, convert the public clinics to more expensive private clinics that would likely serve only those who can afford it. In a country where half of the population lives below the poverty line, the privatization of healthcare would marginalize an even greater number of Salvadorans--especially those who are unemployed or do not otherwise receive health care benefits through an employer. The privatization of health care would also have tremendous repercussions for those who are self-employed. Considering that nearly every intersection in San Salvador has been overtaken by self-employed street vendors whose income is wholly dependent upon their sales, it is frightening to think that each of these vendors may have no access to quality healthcare under a more expensive, privatized system. After all, if they cannot afford the pricey fees at private clinics, what other options would be available to them?

During the past few days, I´ve asked a few of the youth at Altos de Jardines about health care and privatization. Every single person has said that privatization is the worst thing that could happen for the health of Salvadorans; one youth even said that it would be like "privatizing a human right". It´s a powerful thought... As many Salvadorans are quick to highlight, shouldn´t health care be a basic human right for all, regardless of income or social status?