Poisoning victims protest lack of government action

There was chaos on Tuesday, October, 17 at the Hospital Complex of the Social Security Fund in Transístmica when from the early hours patients poisoned by diethylene glycol took to the streets blocking access to other patients with surgical or medical appointments.

The protesters cried out for justice because 17 years after the mass poisoning, some 800 patients have died and those who survived lead a life of ailments due to poisoning by the cursed syrup.

Isaac Sánchez, one of those affected, reported that in 2006 he ingested the syrup poisoned with diethylene glycol

‘Over the years I have had pain in the extremities, deteriorated neck, kidney problems, these are pains that never go away, dizziness and blurred vision,’ he explained, adding that not all medications are available at the CSS.

Sánchez’s story is repeated among the more than a thousand people who were affected by the massive poisoning that occurred in 2006, after the consumption of adulterated expectorant syrup.

Currently, 700 people are waiting for their certifications, while 1,020 patients are receiving a pension of $800 per month, which they hope to increase by an additional $200.

Gabriel Pascual, spokesperson for those affected by diethylene glycol, criticized the lack of responses from the Government despite having held seven meetings in seven months.

In the midst of the frenzy of protests, the deputy medical director of the CSS Hospital Complex, Alberto Mattatal explained that this is a problem that has been around for 17 years and has already become a State problem.

‘This government has made the negotiation, unfortunately in 2019 the pandemic hit us (…) we are in solidarity with all those legitimate victims affected by diethylene glycol,’ he indicated.