Chamba in Honduras: Part 2 Social Security

Hector will be six months old later this week. His respond to most questions is a smile and a coo, thus his mother had to explain what work means to little Hector: work means health. To little Hector, when his dad has work, he has health insurance, medication and more peaceful parents.

According to the Labor Code, all employers have to enroll their employees in the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS) and children of employees have the right to have coverage until the age of 12. Little Hector’s dad works as a security guard at a government building in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. As long as Hector’s dad has work, Hector will have health insurance.

For many Hondurans, the rewards of having a job are much more than just the salary or payment. A job means health insurance and the opportunity to go to the IHSS hospital. The difference between the IHSS hospital and the general hospital is the attention given to patients, long waits and the availability of medication. Patients can wait up to three years to have an urgent surgery and common cold or flu is rarely treated because of the long wait to see a doctor.

The right to attend the IHSS hospital is a benefit of work that is obtained with employment but is lost when an employee is let go. Every month, employers give their employees an official copy of the IHSS payment receipt. Without this receipt, the employee is not allowed to enter the IHSS hospital for treatment. When someone loses their job, they could at most receive treatment in the IHSS hospital for two months.

Hector has battled dengue fever in recent months. Thanks to the employment of his dad, he is doing better and has received needed medication. To many young Hondurans, work means health insurance.