NewsWhore
02-03-2011, 03:30 PM
The Minister of Education, Melanio Paredes, said he was "embarrassed" about the arrears in payment to the doctors who treat teachers the Barahona area. He announced the payment of RD$15 million that is owed to doctors working in the city's clinics and at the same time he complained about the teachers who have been on strike for over a month. Paredes told Listin Diario reporters that he was embarrassed at the report that came out in El Caribe and Hoy about the strikes and the school hours that had been lost as a result. The official said that of the five clinics in Barahona that had contracts with Semma, the teachers' health insurance plan, three said that they had not been paid. However, the minister added that one of the reasons for the delay in payment was that the clinics had not filed the paperwork.
Rafael Mena, the president of the National Association of Private Clinics (Adeclip), told reporters that the association is not worried about whether or not Semma sought to open contracts with other clinics. He said that regardless of whom they contract, no service would be provided until the ministry's health plan pays what is owed for the months of June, July, August and September 2010. He added that while no agreement has been signed between Adeclip and Semma, he did say that he had informed the ministry that with a 60% payment of the arrears for the June-September period, they would provide services while negotiating the debts from the months of October, November and December. There are 264 schools in the Barahona region that have yet to begin the second semester of classes because of this dispute.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)
Rafael Mena, the president of the National Association of Private Clinics (Adeclip), told reporters that the association is not worried about whether or not Semma sought to open contracts with other clinics. He said that regardless of whom they contract, no service would be provided until the ministry's health plan pays what is owed for the months of June, July, August and September 2010. He added that while no agreement has been signed between Adeclip and Semma, he did say that he had informed the ministry that with a 60% payment of the arrears for the June-September period, they would provide services while negotiating the debts from the months of October, November and December. There are 264 schools in the Barahona region that have yet to begin the second semester of classes because of this dispute.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)