Colombia’s Constitutional Court has asked the government to justify each one of the planned presidential decrees intended to overhaul the country’s struggling state-run health care system.
Among the ten proposed reforms, one would require public hospitals to cut spending on their management and administrative branches. Another reform would mandate buying insurance against auto accidents.
The court wants to rule on the constitutionality of each proposed decree. A commission made up of twelve members of Congress will also study the viability of such reforms.
President Uribe said in a radio interview that these “social emergency” decrees would bring “enormous benefits” to the country. The government currently faces a $500 million deficit in its health care system.