In Nicaragua, for one to be able to claim health benefits as a worker, such as being able to receive dialysis as a result of an occupational disease, it is necessary to have access to the social security system, which depends on the number of weeks the worker has registered and paid to the Nicaraguan social security system (INSS). Some of the workers have gotten sick before completing the work time required by INSS to access healthcare coverage through their security system. We aim to use collected funds to find legal support for these workers to aid their process of obtaining access to the social security system.
Nelson is a 28-year-old man living in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. Nelson suffers from CKDnt and currently works in a sugar cane plantation manually applying fertilizer to the fields. He works for an independent sugar cane producer also known as a “Colono”. Nelson has been working in the sugarcane fields since he was 14 years old. He used to work as a burned cane cutter. He worked a total of 14 harvests, but the INSS has a record of just 5 payments made by his employer for his INSS right, since he worked for informal contractors during the other 9 harvests. When he was 23 years old, he was diagnosed with CKDnt. Nelson has not been able to access the benefits of the INSS since his employer did not pay for his INSS right for multiple years. Nelson has only 130 registered paid weeks in the INSS records and he does not meet the minimum number of weeks required for coverage.
Joel is 34 years old and has CKDnt. Joel is currently not working due to some disease complications. He started working in the sugar-cane industry as a burned sugarcane cutter and as a seed cutter when he was 15 years old. In addition to those activities he has also worked sowing and weeding. He worked a total of 7 years in the industry. During these years, his employers, who were informal contractors, only paid for his INSS access during 5 harvests. At the age of 26, Joel was diagnosed with CKDnt. The INSS has only 223 paid weeks accounted in his record; therefore, he cannot access to benefits offered by the INSS.
Nicolás is a 27-year-old man with CKDnt living in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. He started working at the age of 17 cutting burnt cane, cutting seed, sowing, and weeding in the sugarcane fields. He worked for 8 years in these positions and his employers, informal contractors, just paid during 6 harvests his right to social security benefits to the INSS. At the age of 25 he was diagnosed with CKDnt. The INSS has listed on record 215 weeks of paid contributions to their system. As a result, Nicolas does not have access to the benefits offered by the INSS.
100 CKDnt patients were assisted. We provided them with lectures about the difference between CKD and CKDnt. Groups of 20 people participated in the lectures with a duration of 5 hours per group. At each meeting, we provided them with transportation, snacks and lunch.