Peru's vulnerability to the Covid-19 pandemic

The health and economic vulnerabilities of Peru (similar in all of South America) to this unprecedented event in human history, a threat that requires a worldwide response, from the joint action of all the great powers in the search for a prompt solution, to avoid millions of deaths. The epidemic coincides with a situation of chronic global financial crisis, especially since 2007 - 2009, which makes the health crisis extremely difficult.

The Peruvian government (15.3.20) has decreed compulsory social isolation, including a curfew, throughout the territory, closing borders and prohibiting international transit, even so, it is the third most infected country in the subregion (127, until 18.3.20), after Brazil and Chile.

The radical nature of the measure responds to the fact that Péru lacks adequate health facilities. According to Gestión, (16.3.20) 78% of posts and health centers do not have an adequate infrastructure, including the capital. In hospitals, according to Gestión, 51% do not have adequate infrastructure, 243 being in charge of the MINSA, and in the Essalud and MINSA hospitals, consultations and new regular hospitalizations have been interrupted for the moment. MINSA sources said that Peru urgently needs 172 new hospitals, and for optimal care, 303 new hospitals.

In 2019, the newspaper Expreso published that the gap in health infrastructure, "borders the US $ 19,000 million", including hospital construction and maintenance. Using the indicator of the number of hospital beds per 10,000 inhabitants, the source maintains, the World Health Organization (WHO) “recommends that on average there should be 27 hospital beds per 10,000 inhabitants. Today in Peru we are at 15 for every 10,000 inhabitants ”.

Thus, Peru lacks 39,600 new hospital beds.

Specifically, an alarming deficit in clinical respirators has been noted.

In addition, according to Gestión (16.3.20), 95% of the laboratories of the National Institute of Health, the only one in the country that tests for the coronavirus, show gaps, and 80% have inadequate installed capacity. It is in the public domain that not all likely infected are being tested, many are only subjected to home confinement.

Economically, the renowned economist Waldo Mendoza is already discussing in Management (17.3.20) the Great Depression of 2020. The index of stock volatility (VIX) has already exceeded the level of the 2008 crisis, and that indicates that there will be a great world depression. Mendoza acknowledges that with respect to Covid - 19, only "having the medical capacity to detect and treat the infected or having the governmental capacity to impose social isolation" are effective, and, if necessary (the second method) , "Will trigger the great depression of 2020".

03/18/20