Moments of
extreme tension
were experienced this Wednesday morning when a group of affiliates of the Medical Assistance Work Institute (IOMA) wanted to force their way into the
headquarters
located in La Plata: there was
pushing, shouting and fighting
between the protesters and the members of the security forces guarding the building.
But La Plata was not the only focus of conflict.
In other parts of the Province of Buenos Aires, such as
Mar del Plata and Tandil,
similar situations were experienced.
The large group of protesters, mostly
older adults
, had convened themselves through the networks, in which campaigns had been launched to protest against the deficiencies of the service provided by the Buenos Aires social work.
At the door of the building located at 46 between 12 and 13, protesters with banners and megaphones demanded
to see the
IOMA authorities to present various complaints.
Among them, the "organizational and coverage failures" that they have been suffering for some time.
"There are people who are dying because of these garbage that are stealing money. All this is ours and they don't give us anything, people need it," was the testimony of Gladys G, as published by the
Infocielo
site .
Protest by IOMA affiliates at the La Plata headquarters.
Photo: Daniel Olivero / Infocielo
"They don't allow us to enter the hall, we are all big people, what can we do? Are you afraid that we will scare you? We are going to do it," the woman attacked.
Along the same lines, another member added: "If the president of IOMA does not show his face, the governor has to do so. The Buenos Aires employee unions are accomplices, none of them complain for us."
"They cover a fixed sum per medication. When the medication cost $100, they covered 60 pesos. But now that medication costs $600 and the coverage is still $60," explained Hugo O., another of the protesters in a conversation with the site
La Plata1
.
This Tuesday, different representatives of the blocks of the Buenos Aires Chamber of Deputies had held a meeting with the head of IOMA, Homero Giles, to analyze the benefits of that entity and the situation of payments to professionals and health providers.
Homero Giles, president of IOMA, at the meeting with representatives of the blocks of the provincial Chamber of Deputies.
There, Giles explained that "the social work had been growing, organizing its financial issues, expanding coverage";
and clarified: "There is no doubt that the economic shock that occurred from October to December and that we always explain, in which the market increased prices enormously, put us in a very difficult situation to continue facing the investment that we had been making. ".
The truth is that the social work - which has more than
two million beneficiaries
- faces complaints for irregularities and lack of benefits.
Sectors of the PRO and Libertad Avanza also questioned Kicillof since the provincial government, they assured, has been blocking the discussion on IOMA in the Legislature of the Province of Buenos Aires.
Protests at the headquarters of Mar del Plata and Tandil
The postcard that was seen in La Plata was replicated this Wednesday in
Mar del Plata
.
There, a new demonstration of IOMA affiliates gathered in front of the organization's headquarters on Independencia Avenue.
Incidents at IOMA Mar del Plata due to protest by protesters.
With banners and several posters, the members asked that the organization's economic-financial emergency be "declared" and that the governor of the Province, Axel Kicillof, intervene.
In other posters, they also asked for the resignation of the head of the organization, Homero Giles.
"This is a total abandonment and we have the right to health. We protest, but there are no answers. If something happens to us, we are left on the street. We are getting people to support us, we were with deputies, we raised a petition, we gathered signatures, they said they are going to hold a dialogue table, but we are still waiting," Ofelia I. complained in a chat with the site
El Marplatense
.
Protest in front of the IOMA headquarters in Tandil.
Photo: X
The same postcard was seen this Wednesday morning at the Tandil headquarters.
A group of protesters called "Emergencia IOMA Tandil" gathered at the doors of the headquarters, on España Avenue between Colón and Paz, and also raised their protest against the organization's authorities.
In addition, they pointed out their criticism of the Buenos Aires governor, Kicillof.
The Institute points out that although all people who have demands are received, on this occasion and due to the type of protest "it is a political move by a group that comes from time to time," according to what they said.
However, despite the disturbances, representatives of the organization confirmed that "they will receive the protesters" and that "they will receive all the demands they are putting forward."