CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–August 8, 2013.  A group of people on Hunger Strike for Health Care have announced they are ending the hunger strike after beginning negotiations with three major hospitals. Over the course of ten days, the hunger strikers secured meetings with the CEO of University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center Dr Dean Baker and representatives from the administration of Northwestern Memorial Hospital

On Wednesday, August 7 the hunger strikers were in a two-hour meeting with representatives of Christ Advocate Medical Center including Michael D Wilkins, Chief Operating Officer and Tony Mooney Gardner, Manager of Public Affairs. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Hospital agreed to:
1. Communicate with Dr David Ansel of Rush Hospital who is leading the effort to create a roundtable along with other transplant teams from UIC, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Loyola; this is intended to coordinate efforts so that undocumented and uninsured people can be evaluated for the transplant wait lists.
2. Establish and maintain communication with the fourteen patients on the Hunger Strikers list to accomplish every point that was agreed upon
3. There will be no requirement for legal documentation for any patient to be accepted by Christ Medical center to be evaluated for the transplant wait lists
4. There will be no requirement for insurance for any patient to apply for evaluation for the transplant wait list; the hospital has significant financial support for people without insurance, and that can be used for any person who applies for medical care at Christ Advocate, especially those who need organ transplants.

Similar agreements were reached with other area hospitals as well.

In addition, the hunger strikers announce that one of the patients on their list is now scheduled for evaluation by the transplant team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, an important first step and a concrete sign that the Hunger Strike has begun to have an impact. “I am very grateful that my husband will finally begin the process of evaluation for the transplant wait list” declared Maria Garnica, one of the hunger strikers. “But I am in the fight for all these patients, and for all of those who are undocumented and uninsured. These hospitals should know that we will be back to demand they keep their promises!” she stated.

There is a long road ahead for undocumented and uninsured patients needing transplants, who must still raise funds to cover the cost of medication. The process of evaluation for the transplant wait lists is a long and complicated one. While hospitals have agreed to work with the hunger strikers, the battle is not over until all fourteen patients have successfully completed the evaluations and been placed on the wait lists. One of the key points os the ability of patients to pay for many years’ worth of medication after the transplant — without this, hospitals often refuse to proceed with the transplant. The Hunger Strikers continue to demand that area hospitals work together to establish a Not for Profit Pharmacy that ensures affordable medication for wait list candidates before and after the transplants. Finally, the hunger strikers’ demands also included extending this same treatment to all patients who are uninsured and lack documentation.

“We are very happy with the agreements so far, but we cannot believe the hospitals until we see results” stated Father Jose Landaverde, one of the hunger strikers. “They have promised many of these same things before, and rejected patients once there was no more media attention. This fight is far from over” he added.

For more information see tinyurl.com/strike4health