The relatives of the five-year-old girl Michelle Perniawho died on November 30 trying to cross the border with Venezuela to be treated at a medical center in Puerto Santander, they recounted the dramatic moments they lived through looking for an alternative to take the girl to the municipality of Norte de Santander after members of the Venezuelan National Guard prevented them from crossing in the ambulance in which they were they mobilized.
The infant was disconnected from oxygen by the same doctor who traveled with her in the ambulance to Boca de Grita, García de Hevia municipality in Táchira state, after Guard officials notified them that they could not cross the Union Bridge in the ambulance from the Comprehensive Diagnostic Center (CDI) of La Fría.
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According to the story of father of the minor, Jonathan Perníathe girl was referred in the early hours of the morning of November 30 from the CDI La Fría to the Central Hospital of San Cristóbal, but given that the family did not have money to pay for all the supplies that they request in public health centers, decided that it was better to they would take her to a care center in Puerto Santander, Colombia, even if they did not have Colombian documents.
To move the girl to the border line, the family had to give 150,000 pesos to buy gasoline for the ambulance, the relatives indicated. At 3:30 in the morning they arrived at the border point of the Boca de Grita National Guard, where a soldier told them that the ambulance could not cross the bridge, despite the torrential downpouraccording to the allegation of the uniformed man, was that the border was closed for the passage of vehicles.
So, the father said, the doctor who was traveling in the ambulance made the decision to disconnect the infant from the oxygen system, and a cart driver who was there, lent the wooden cart to move the little one. Since it was raining heavily, they covered her with a plastic bag so that she would not get wet, then the mother began to walk and on the way to cross the metallic bridge, she felt that the girl had died.
Upon arriving at the Puerto Santander health post, the doctors confirmed that her daughter was without vital signs. The heartbroken mother had no choice but to return to Boca de Grita with the body of his daughter on the same wheelbarrow.
From the morgue of the Central Hospital of San Cristóbal, Pernía, he asked the governor of the state of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, to take action on the matter, because it is not fair that existing a relationship between Colombia and Venezuela, do not let an ambulance transit by the Colombian-Venezuelan border.
The father, in the midst of his pain, asked that the ambulances be allowed to pass so that these painful events are not repeated due to negligence, both by the doctor and by the officials.
“How are they going to leave my daughter, a little angel, like a potato lump?said Pernia.
Yusbey Medina Daza, a relative of the girl, expressed that what happened is an injustice and the only thing they demand is that this situation not be repeated.
“It hurts us that such a little girl has had to go through this situation. Here the negligence is from the doctor because she should not have disconnected it, He handed the girl to the mother and told her up to here we can help her, but they were able to collect the ambulance cost,” Medina narrated.
She said that the duty of the doctor was to have demanded that the guard let her pass with the canister and accompany her to the health post.
Michelle’s relatives are residents of La Fría and stated that they were low-income people, they also revealed that the little girl was born with heart problems and for approximately 5 days she had become ill and they were giving her medication, until Tuesday night they took her to the local health center for emergency care because her state of health had deteriorated.
They demand investigation of the case
The director of Amnesty International Venezuela, Marcos Gómez, through his account on the social network Twitter expressed: “Painful consequence of the closure of the border between Venezuela and Colombia to the humanitarian needs of the population.
For his part, the deputy of the Táchira State Legislative Council, Miguel Reyes, lamented the loss of the little girl’s life and demanded that President Nicolás Maduro stop with so much humiliation, especially when the reestablishment of relations has already been announced. between Colombia and Venezuela.
“Why continue mistreating and humiliating so much a town that has been carrying this cross for 7 years. They are going 7,000 Tachirenses who have to go weekly to the Republic of Colombia, to the city of Cúcuta, to receive medical assistance in the area of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and dialysis, who walk kilometers and a half, there and back, why subject them more to that torture”, he said.
Reyes asked that all officials are changed and specifically the captain who was at the checkpoint that Wednesdaybecause more lives cannot continue to be lost due to the negligence, arrogance and arrogance of officials.
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In addition, he requested that a prosecutor with national competence be appointed to come to make an expert opinion and investigation of this case, in order to establish responsibilities.
The deputy of the Border Commission of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Juan Carlos Palencia, also demanded that the Public Ministry investigate thoroughly and establish responsibilities in this sad fact.
“This is abominable and violates international humanitarian law and the medical mission, even in wars people’s lives are respected and the wounded are allowed to pass. The call is the diplomacy of Bogotá and Caracas, that they really open the border completely and stop the rhetoric”, the parliamentarian asserted.
Governor Freddy Bernal referred to the case
The regional president indicated that they will investigate the fact to determine the responsibilities.
“I know that the passage is not regularized, but in my opinion there are common sense things, which I am sure if they had asked for permission we would have authorized it. I understand that there is no formal step, But when it comes to a human life, in my opinion, you have to do something beyond formality and from that border post it was not difficult for them to inform General Rosales, who would have informed me and we would have authorized the passage, “said Bernal. .
He said that this type of thing cannot happen again, especially now that there are excellent relations with President Gustavo Petro.
He commented that common sense is above duty and common sense indicated that this ambulance had to pass.