Medicine students protest in Lima

Students nearing the finish line for medicine school took to the streets of the Lima, Peru on Tuesday, May 4 to demand biosafety conditions, delivery of protective equipment, health and life insurance,

Students nearing the finish line for medicine school took to the streets of the Lima, Peru on Tuesday, May 4 to demand biosafety conditions, delivery of protective equipment, health and life insurance, payment of the minimum vital remuneration and to be included in the list to receive the vaccine against COVID-19 from the government and health authorities.

Alexander Urbina, secretary General of the Federation of Medical Students of Peru [2:17-2:41], said: “What the health ministry has established is that the budget only reaches until December and they will grant us 400 soles (135 USD, less than half of a minimum vital salary in Peru), 400 soles that would not reach, in the case of the university or the health ministry couldn't cover that.

We are not here protesting because we do not want to enter and fight against this pandemic.

We want to enter now but with the necessary security.” Maylin Vilcatoma, a dental student at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos [2:42-2:58] said: “What we ask is the payment for all health sciences careers, without discrimination of the fifth or upper third, of a minimum vital remuneration (930 soles or 248 USD).

We ask for PPEs for all health sciences colleagues and also we ask for social, health and life insurance.”