The federal government of the United States declared this Wednesday a public health emergency in Puerto Rico after the passage of Hurricane Fiona, which has left innumerable damages to homes and infrastructure, while a large part of the population continues without electricity or water.
The secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, in English) of the USA, Xavier Becerra, explained in a press release that with this declaration the beneficiaries of the Medicare and Medicaid public health services and their health care providers are granted a greater flexibility in responding to your urgent needs.
Medicare is a national program for people 65 and older and people with disabilities, and Medicaid covers low-income people.
“We will do everything we can to help those responsible in Puerto Rico with the response to the impact of Hurricane Fiona,” Becerra said in the note.
He explained that they work closely with local authorities and their federal partners, and that they are prepared to offer more medical and health support.
HHS sent personnel to the island to determine if it needs to contribute more resources to help Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican government asked the United States on Tuesday to declare the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona on the island a “major disaster.”
Just five years after the devastating Hurricane María passed through the island, which has still not recovered from the ravages suffered on September 20, 2017, the situation is once again dramatic for many Puerto Ricans.