A desperate Colombian man is seeking to end his life following 28-years of neglect at the hands of his health care provider proven to be shambolic and corrupt.
Claudio Cruz was left bedridden for life after an accident left him a quadriplegic 28 years ago. Almost three decades down the line Cruz and his family have simply had enough of the neglect shown by the health care provider and feel that the best way to end his living nightmare is to die.
The EPS system, which is designed to sell health service packages to the public, and contract such services with the healthcare-providing institution, has a reputation throughout Colombia for severe corruption and denying helping its patients in the correct manner.
Cruz has had first-hand experience of this and claims the EPS has continually refused to help to attain certain medical treatments.
In 2009 he and his wife won a protection suit against the EPS forcing the service into providing him with required treatment.
However when he received further examinations they showed he was also diabetic, a condition which was previously missed and something he has not received any care for since.
Such is the disregard shown by his health care provider that Cruz has now given up his fight to healthcare and, more significantly, his own will to live.
This, sadly, is a story not uncommon to people in Colombia.
It was reported in 2011 that 20 million people in the country are without almost any healthcare whatsoever due to the shambolic nature of the EPS system.
Many people are aware of its shoddy reputation with some claiming the only way to receive necessary and proper treatment is by suing the insurance companies.
Although Cruz insurance company acknowledged his condition it has shown procrastination for the past 28 years to avoid forking out for his treatment, which he is entitled to.
While it is necessary for Cruz to see an orthopaedist the waiting time is at least one year leaving him and his family to believe euthanasia is the only option left and placing the responsibility for the breach of his human rights on the broad, corporate shoulders of the EPS system.
After nearly three decades of struggle to have his rights respected, Cruz feels no life at all is better than one dependant on a corporate system that clearly has no desire to help him. Along with a wife Cruz will leave behind a legacy as the embodiment of the innocent victims of a corrupt and selfish system.
