16:19 | Lima, Aug. 10 (ANDINA).
The Peruvian government is implementing a health sector reform as part of a larger process of reforming the state administration in a "balanced and responsible" way, President Ollanta Humala said this week.
"As a government of 30 million Peruvians, we have to defend the interests of each one of them in every action we take," Humala said in reference to the ongoing strikes by public sector doctors and nurses.
"I understand that doctors are rightfully asking for better pay but we have to look for a prudent and responsible balance, we want to address the problem in a comprehensive way and not pay a high price in the end," he said after inaugurating the fourth stretch of the Ayacucho-Abancay road on Thursday.
The president reiterated that the state reform aims to provide better services to citizens and said his government is "investing over 600 million soles to achieve that goal; we will reorganize the [health] ministry, improving its competitiveness and strengthening the national health insurance scheme."
The head of state went on to insist that now is the time to reform the state administration so that it can deliver quality public services.
(END) EEP/EEP
Published: 8/10/2013