Sick Venezuelans Flee to Colombia for Treatment скачать в хорошем качестве

Sick Venezuelans Flee to Colombia for Treatment

(8 Mar 2018) ON A NARROW BRIDGE DIVIDING TWO NATIONS… THOUSANDS OF VENEZUELANS CROSS THE BORDER EACH DAY INTO NEIGHBORING COLOMBIA. FOR GRECIA SABALA THE TREK IS MORE THAN A HUNT FOR FOOD OR WORK. SOUNDBITE GRECIA SABALA, PATIENT (SPANISH): "i am crossing with hope in search of life." THE 32-YEAR-OLD CANCER PATIENT HAS CROSSED THE BORDER BRIDGE DOZENS OF TIMES IN SEARCH OF LIFE-SAVING TREATMENT. THE ONLY RADIATION MACHINE IN HER CITY DOESN'T WORK. AS VENEZUELA'S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WORSENS RISING NUMBERS ARE FLOODING COLOMBIA IN SEARCH OF MEDICAL CARE… STRAINING THE COUNTRY'S ALREADY WEAK HEALTH SYSTEM. AT THE ERASMO MEOZ HOSPITAL IN CUCUTA, PATIENTS ARE PACKED SIDE-BY-SIDE IN THE ER. THEIR CARE OFTEN REQUIRING COSTLY TREATMENTS THE CASH-STRAPPED HOSPITAL CAN'T AFFORD. SOUNDBITE JUAN RAMIREZ, HOSPITAL DIRECTOR (SPANISH): "We handle the emergency care and beyond that there's no more we can do." THE DAILY ARRIVALS INCLUDE PREGNANT WOMEN, PATIENTS WITH TRANSMITTABLE DISEASES AND SICKLY CHILDREN LIKE 3-YEAR-OLD LUNE WHO WEIGHED JUST 17 POUNDS WHEN SHE FLED VENEZUELA. SOUNDBITE GENNIFER DE ORTEGA, MOM OF BABY (SPANISH): "We had to feed her potatoes, yucca, just vegetables. no matter how much of that it's not enough to nourish a child her age." SEVERAL MILLION VENEZUELANS HAVE FLED IN A BURGEONING REFUGEE CRISIS SOUNDING ALARM BELLS THROUGHOUT LATIN AMERICA. SOME SO DESPERATE THEY'RE WILLING TO SLEEP ON COLOMBIA'S STREETS. SOUNDBITE SHERVY ADAMES, HOMELESS VENEZUELAN (SPANISH): "My mom is sick and needs medicine we can't get in Venezuela." GRECIA SABALA AND HER HUSBAND HAVE SPENT THE LAST FOUR MONTHS SEEKING THE REQUIRED AUTHORIZATIONS TO GET TREATMENT FOR HER CERVICAL CANCER. THE RUBBER TIRES OF HER WHEELCHAIR SO WORN DOWN THEY ARE ABOUT TO BREAK APART. HER DOCTORS IN VENEZUELA PERFORMED A HYSTERECTOMY LAST YEAR BUT WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE CHEMO OR RADIATION. SOUNDBITE NELSON GONZALEZ, husband (SPANISH): "I don't want my daughter to be left without a mom." ON A RECENT AFTERNOON THEY FINALLY GOT THE GREEN LIGHT TO BEGIN SABALA'S TREATMENT. SOUNDBITE: GRECIA SABALA, PATIENT (SPANISH): "Since I crossed the border in search of help this was my dream. for me, this moment is the start of a dream." ONE MORE HURDLE CROSSED IN A FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL. CHRISTINE ARMARIO, ASSOCIATED PRESS Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...