The Ministry of Education (Mineduc) published this March 1, 2024, government agreement 36-2024 with which it creates the School Health Program and which also repeals the School Health Insurance implemented by the previous government.
Anabella Giracca, Minister of Education, published a video on social networks, together with Óscar Cordón, Minister of Health, in which they presented the School Health Program, which will serve students in the public sector starting this March 1 of 2024.
According to the official, the program aims to provide dignified and quality care in the 340 municipalities of Guatemala, and “replaces, expands and improves the care previously provided.”
He added that since March 1, the call center has been operating at telephone number 1528, which has professionals at the service of children and youth 24 hours a day and brings closer to the 190 health centers, 174 Permanent Care Centers and 11 Comprehensive Maternal and Child Care Centers of the National Health System.
Emergencies, laboratories and free medicines
“The 48 hospitals in the country have instructions to attend to emergencies, laboratory services and the required specialties. The medications that we will deliver will be free, with the data collected by the staff, both from the call center and from in-person care, the technical team of the Ministry of Health will work on continuous improvement and expansion of the services of the school health program ”Cordón commented.
Funeral expenses
Giracca added that through the Ministry of Education, the School Health Program will provide coverage for funeral expenses, thus completing the program’s service provision.
“We have managed, in just over a month of work, to have a solution ready that, from the public, improves the care provided until the month of February of this year,” said Giracca.
“The directors and teachers of public sector educational centers have the support to continue their educational work, which is complemented by health care for children, adolescents and youth in Guatemala,” he concluded.
For the boys, girls, adolescents and young people of the national educational system, the School Health Program begins today.#GuatemalaSaleAdelante #Mineduc #ProgramaDeSaludEscolar pic.twitter.com/aMRm87dgFa
— Mineduc Guatemala (@MineducGT) March 1, 2024
The agreement
In article 1 of the government agreement published this Friday, the School Health Program is created, which will be in charge of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance and the Ministry of Education, within the scope of their powers.
It is established that the objective of the aforementioned program is to promote the health and permanence of students enrolled in the public education system, as well as to serve as an incentive to increase school enrollment through health promotion, prevention and care of diseases. common conditions, conditions resulting from accidents, provision of medicines and funeral services.
It adds that students enrolled in the public education system must be attended to by personnel designated by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, according to the resolution level at which they provide services in a comprehensive manner, in accordance with current health regulations, determining the behavior/treatment to be followed promptly.
Regarding funeral services, it is mentioned that it is for the purpose of supporting families who suffer death due to accident or natural death of a student enrolled in the public education system.
It explains that the Ministry of Education will make a transfer to the parents or whoever corresponds, in accordance with the law, intended to support funeral services. For this purpose, the Ministry of Education will issue the necessary provisions.
It is established that the implementation of the aforementioned program will be carried out progressively by both ministries, according to their competencies; For this purpose, a technical table will be formed, and the pertinent provisions must be issued.
“The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, through the Directorate of the Medical Emergency System (SUME), will be responsible for implementing and developing the telephone call mechanism for coordination and referral to the health services of the Ministry of Health. Public and Social Assistance, for the care of students in the public education system,” the agreement reads.
Financing
It is mentioned that for financing for 2024, the ministries of Education and Public Health and Social Assistance must carry out budgetary actions, in order to allocate the resources that allow the execution of the School Health Program.
For the following fiscal years, both portfolios will carry out programming within their assigned budgets, with the purpose of addressing the School Health Program, based on the financial availability of the State.
The planned funds will be allocated for the exclusive use of the School Health Program, as established in the agreement.
Disclosure
The Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, will implement the strategies and administrative actions to communicate to the inhabitants of the Nation the benefits of the School Health Program, and must be disseminated. through all means of social communication that are at the disposal of the State.
School Health Insurance Repealed
In the same agreement, the Ministry of Education also repeals government agreement 44-2020 dated March 19, 2020, through which the School Health Insurance Program was created and also annuls all provisions that contravene this agreement published this 1 of March.
The new government agreement comes into effect on the day of its publication in the Diario de Centro América, that is, March 1, 2024.
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