No plastic gloves or dressings: Inside the last pediatric surgical ward in Caracas - CNN
CNN's Sam Kiley reports from inside the last pediatric surgical ward in Caracas where Venezuela's failed economy, further crippled by US sanctions, has starved hospitals of much needed medicine and food. Official figures on the shortfall of medicine are difficult to come by, and facilities like these are kept under strict surveillance to keep it that way. Entrances are patrolled by members of the feared national police, or, even worse, FAES special forces units. Security staff keep a detailed log of visitors, checking each bag, and there are said to be informants on every floor. "Hospitals are guarded by the military ... by the government, who puts the military there so it can control the donations that come in," said Giselle, a volunteer working with Comparte Por Una Vida, a nongovernmental organization that provides supplies donated from around the world. Giselle, whose last name CNN is not publishing due to security concerns, said delivering aid in person was the only way to guarantee it gets into the hands of those who need it. "The government doesn't deliver it, it keeps it or sells it in the black market."
Socialism, corruption, and nonsensical currency controls...
