Bolivia medics demand aid corridor
Health workers warn blockades are disrupting emergency care
Medical personnel and ambulances staged a march through central La Paz calling for a five-day humanitarian corridor as Bolivia nears a month of road blockades that have triggered shortages and strained public services. The protest, organized by health workers and billed as the “White Coats March,” highlighted urgent shortages of oxygen, medicines and access to hospitals for patients undergoing dialysis, chemotherapy and radiation; placards read “There is no oxygen” and “Patients fight to live.” Leaders of medical associations said blockades have impeded ambulances and medical supply deliveries, delayed transfers for emergency surgery, intensive care and specialized treatment, and in some cases contributed to patient deaths or severe complications.
Doctors urged a temporary suspension of roadblocks to allow emergency transport and supplies to reach hospitals, framing the appeal as humanitarian rather than political. Medical unions called on protest organizers and authorities to agree on corridors that would permit ambulances and deliveries to pass even as demonstrations continue. Health professionals warned the continuing disruptions are worsening an emerging health crisis by restricting movement between remote communities and major treatment centers and by hampering distribution of oxygen, medicines and equipment.
Government officials acknowledged mounting pressure on the health system and reported efforts to open dialogue with protest groups to mitigate the impact on essential services. Protest leaders, representing labour unions, miners, transport workers and rural groups, defended the roadblocks as necessary leverage against austerity measures and rising living costs, and some have demanded the president’s resignation. The unrest, which began with strikes in early May and has since broadened into a nationwide movement, is increasingly affecting healthcare delivery as well as food supply chains and economic activity across the country.
