Uruguay will give money to buy water in the face of the crisis

Government of Uruguay It will allocate money for the purchase of water to certain groups of vulnerable sectors after the increase in chloride and sodium levels in drinking water.

This measure was announced this Wednesday at a press conference held in Montevideo Executive Tower in which the Minister of Public Health, Karina Randoand Head of Portfolio for Social Development, Martín Lema.

Specifically, pregnant women and children up to the age of 2 who receive family allowances and live in the departments (provinces) of Montevideo and Canelones will receive money corresponding to the price of two liters of water per day per person.

The family allowance is a cash transfer received by certain groups that make up households in a socially and economically vulnerable situation.

Beneficiaries of the program for chronic patients of the Ministry of Social Development will also receive money.

Likewise, water will be guaranteed to all patients with chronic kidney failure and cirrhosis treated in the framework National Resource Fund.

These measures last 30 days, but can be extended.

He Ministry of Public Health of Uruguayin collaboration with medical chairs, asked the population of Montevideo on Tuesday to “avoid salting food” due to the increase in sodium levels in tap water, a measure to guarantee supplies in drought conditions.

The list is divided into recommendations for the general population, for those using antihypertensives and diuretics, and for those who are pregnant or have chronic kidney disease, heart failure, or cirrhosis.

For the general group, he advises maintaining the usual water consumption, which, he says, “can be entirely from OSE” (State sanitary works) and asks not to add salt to the food of children up to 2 years of age, to use bottled mineral water for infants, and to periodically check blood pressure for people over 60 years of age.

For the second group, it is requested to reduce “to the maximum” the consumption of food with excess sodium – marked with an octagon according to the Uruguayan labeling law – and the consumption of up to one liter of OSE water per day, completing the daily consumption with mineral water.

For the third, meanwhile, it indicates that you should avoid “as much as possible” the consumption of OSE water “as advised by your doctor” and not exceed one liter a day if you drink it, hand in hand with more frequent blood pressure checks.

He National emergency systemOSE, MSP and the Ministry of Environmental Protection formed an advisory commission to analyze the state of tap water in the capital, which, given the shortage, MSP authorized for distribution with more chlorine and a sodium level of about 440 milligrams per liter.