The Government ordered, through decree of necessity and urgencythe extension until December 31, 2023 of the public health emergencyarranged by law 27,541, due to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic that in recent weeks saw a resurgence of cases after months of retraction.
DNU 863/2022, published this Friday in the Official Gazette, authorizes the Ministry of Health as the enforcement authority for the health emergency and, in its recitals, argues that “There are still special care needs due to the coronavirus pandemic and its impacts, including in the field of mental health”.
As explained by the Ministry of Health in a press release, the health emergency aims to “add the contribution of professionals and technicians from all disciplines in the different health subsystems to strengthen, provide robustness, and be able to provide essential and necessary care to the population”.
“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health system has generated an accumulated demand for follow-up, treatment, diagnostic tests and specialized care that must be adequately attended to throughout the country,” recalled the portfolio led by Carla Vizzotti.
In this sense, it was noted that “during the two years of the pandemic there were delays and interruptions in the continuity of health care at all levels worldwide” and it was specified that in Argentina “the care of outpatients and around 60% canceled their medical and diagnostic practices”.
“To this we must add the dropout rate of treatment for people with diabetes, which was reduced by a percentage close to 35%,” the statement added.
The Ministry remarked that the impact was also felt in the mental health of the population, with the increase in anxiety symptoms, affectation of mood, increase in complex problems such as suicide and the problematic consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances. psychoactive and misuse and abuse of technology.
“The consequences produced by the pandemic force us to adopt fast, effective and urgent measures; in addition to continuing to develop a consensual health strategy to deepen the integration of health subsystems with a focus on equity, the elimination of barriers to access and the increase in the quality of health services”, he stressed.
And he added that “this change in the care, management and financing model requires an additional effort to develop and strengthen integrated service networks, with special emphasis on prevention and promotion of population health, the national digital health strategy, the development of adequate information systems and the incorporation of new technologies. In all these cases, qualified and sufficient human resources are required for its implementation”.
EXTENSIONS
Thus, with the extension of the health emergency, the provisional specialty registration and/or certification regime is extended for those who do not have the finalized degree process, revalidation of title or undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate certification in health sciences. , previous intervention of the Ministry of Education and with certification of competences in charge of the assistance establishments that require them.
It also provides for the hiring of retired or retired health personnel, temporarily exempting them from the regime of incompatibilities in force for the National Public Administration; and to authorize, exceptionally and temporarily, the hiring and practice of health professionals and technicians, graduates abroad whose title is not revalidated or authorized in the Argentine Republic.
Likewise, the health emergency allows the Health portfolio to authorize the installation and operation of field or modular hospitals even without having the prior administrative requirements and authorizations, taking into account the health, geographic, socioeconomic and demographic diversity of our country, which requires a distinctive approach that contemplates the different realities and allows to continue strengthening the health infrastructure in different parts of Argentina.
In addition, the reallocation of budget items is authorized, by the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, for the implementation of the measures that are necessary under this emergency.
