Last month, the Zika Virus caught the world’s attention. In Venezuela, there have been over 400,000 cases and roughly 25,000 cases in Columbia. Venezuela is facing an economic crisis that has affected the state of public health facilities. Hospitals do not have the instruments, medicines, and housing for pacients, in fact, they do not even have gloves nor soap. The Zika Virus is especially dangerous for pregnant women because unborn babies can have microcephaly, a birth defect that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads. Due to extreme shortages in supplies, many people are left dead or unhealthy and in pain. These hospitals are unable to care for the dying people and has left the country in a economic and health crisis. The Venezuelan
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The help for those affected with the Zika Virus is insufficient, “The economic crisis in this country has exploded into a public health emergency, claiming the lives of untold numbers of Venezuelans,” (Casey,1). It is unfair that the people of Venezuela are not getting the help they need. This epidemic adds to the ignorance of their government. “As its government runs out of dollars, all imports, including medicines, have been radically cut back,” (Gibbs, 1). Family members of patients have to turn to the black market to find the medicines their infected need. Citizens are not receiving the right to be provided with medicine and that is very …show more content…
“At the University of the Andes Hospital in the mountain city of Mérida, there was not enough water to wash blood from the operating table. Doctors preparing for surgery cleaned their hands with bottles of seltzer water,” (Casey 1). The fact that these places that are supposed to be clean and sterile are not for their patients is mortifying. The Venezuelan government needs to take action as soon as possible to help their unhealthy civilians. “A further challenge is that most homes in Venezuela, like public buildings (including hospitals), have only intermittent running water; the result of an ongoing drought and years of inadequate investment and maintenance,” (Gibbs 1). Water that is stored because of the drought can become inhabited by mosquitos carrying the Zika Virus. This makes exposure to the Zika Virus almost impossible to avoid. Civilians need to be provided by the government with ways to keep their water clean and an abundance of repellent and
The help for those affected with the Zika Virus is insufficient, “The economic crisis in this country has exploded into a public health emergency, claiming the lives of untold numbers of Venezuelans,” (Casey,1). It is unfair that the people of Venezuela are not getting the help they need. This epidemic adds to the ignorance of their government. “As its government runs out of dollars, all imports, including medicines, have been radically cut back,” (Gibbs, 1). Family members of patients have to turn to the black market to find the medicines their infected need. Citizens are not receiving the right to be provided with medicine and that is very …show more content…
“At the University of the Andes Hospital in the mountain city of Mérida, there was not enough water to wash blood from the operating table. Doctors preparing for surgery cleaned their hands with bottles of seltzer water,” (Casey 1). The fact that these places that are supposed to be clean and sterile are not for their patients is mortifying. The Venezuelan government needs to take action as soon as possible to help their unhealthy civilians. “A further challenge is that most homes in Venezuela, like public buildings (including hospitals), have only intermittent running water; the result of an ongoing drought and years of inadequate investment and maintenance,” (Gibbs 1). Water that is stored because of the drought can become inhabited by mosquitos carrying the Zika Virus. This makes exposure to the Zika Virus almost impossible to avoid. Civilians need to be provided by the government with ways to keep their water clean and an abundance of repellent and