Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santiago del Estero (Agenzia Fides) - Bishop Francisco Polti, Bishop of Santiago del Estero, his Auxiliary Bishop Ariel Torrado Mosconi, and Bishop Adolfo Uriona of Añatuya, have prepared a joint message to express their concern about "the situation of health care in the poorest province, the situation of hospitals, the lack of medical supplies, and the labor disputes in this area."
The Pastors of the two Dioceses that make up the province have launched an appeal "to the entire Christian community to pray to the Lord, that paths leading to dialogue and consensus may be found and, therefore, the current difficulties may be overcome." Also, I ask "all those involved to open their minds and hearts to listen to others so that, with creativity, they may find the right solutions." Finally, I would like to make a call to prayer, "that the hospital services return to normal as soon as possible."
It has now been 5 months since the beginning of this conflict situation and, after nearly 20 days of strikes in hospitals, the Bishops have taken the floor to call for dialogue. The local press speaks of an "historical conflict" in explaining the duration of the hospital strike, and after several marches, including on the capital, the central government still does not intervene. The situation is deteriorating and it is feared that this state of affairs could spread to other parts of the country. Health workers are demanding higher wages, but they also want to improve the unsanitary conditions in public hospitals in this province of Santiago del Estero. The Diocese of Santiago del Estero has an area of 81,969 square kilometers with a population of around 666,000 inhabitants, of whom 590,000 are Catholics. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 23/02/2010)
