Doctors protest Caracas shortages

www.cnn.com Monday, March 10, 2003 Posted: 12:17 PM EST (1717 GMT)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Dozens of physicians marched through Venezuela's capital Monday to protest shortages of supplies in Caracas hospitals.

The doctors blew whistles and waved blue, red and yellow Venezuelan flags as they marched down a central highway, escorted by police.

For decades, Venezuela's public hospitals have suffered from severe supply shortages, forcing many patients to buy their own syringes, antibiotics, painkillers and gauze bandages.

A new currency exchange system that tightly regulates how Venezuelans can buy dollars is aggravating the crisis. Almost all medicine in Venezuela is imported.

The controls are meant to protect the bolivar currency, which lost a quarter of its value during a two-month general strike seeking to force early elections. The strike ended last month.

President Hugo Chavez has promised to give priority to businesses that import basics such as food and medicine. But because of delays in implementing the new scheme, the government hasn't sold any dollars for two months.

Most pharmacies in the country only have stocks for 30 more days, according to Oswaldo Santana, president of the Venezuelan Chamber of Medicine. Wholesalers only have supplies for 15 more days, Santana said in comments published in Monday's El Universal newspaper.