by Hilary Goodfriend, El Salvador Intern

El Salvador is approaching its second year under FMLNexecutive governance. In this short time Salvadorans have seen significantgains in education, access to healthcare, the defense and promotion of women’srights and the fight against corruption. One inspiring example of positivetransformations under the FMLN is that of the ISBM, Instituto Salvadoreño deBienestar Magesterial, or the Salvadoran Institute for the Wellbeing ofTeachers.

                  ElSalvador’s teachers have fought for many years for their own functionalhealthcare and pension system. For decades, teachers seeking healthcare facedmedicine shortages, poor quality medical attention, and overall marginalization.Demands for such a system began in the 1960s, but were never realized until2007 when the Legislative Assembly approved the creation of the ISBM, laterconstituted in 2008. After the 2009 victory of FMLN presidential candidateMauricio Funes, the Funes Administration appointed Professor Rafael AntonioCoto López - long-time FMLN leader and a teacher himself - as president of theISBM. Under the new government and Coto’s leadership, the institution hasbecome the supportive, accessible healthcare network that Salvadoran teachershave demanded.

                  Financedlargely by contributions from members’ salaries, ISBM provides family medicine,specialized medicine, dentistry, psychology, medicine dispensaries,laboratories and hospitalization for teachers and their families, along withservices like temporary disability pensions and even funeral costs. As of July31, 2010, the ISBM had 85,292 users: 34,325 contributing teachers and 50,967relatives of teachers who qualify for ISBM medical services.

                  Ina recent presentation, Rafael Coto pointed out that unlike the publichealthcare system, the ISBM provides pediatric care for the children of itscontributors through the age of 21, and in cases of disability the coveragecontinues beyond this age. The ISBM also provides prenatal care for pregnantminors whose parents are teachers. In addition, the institute pays its doctorsmore than the public does.

                  Theinstitute continues to make significant gains in quality and coverage.Surgeries have tripled in the first year under new leadership, as have thenumber of people seeking care in ISBM hospitals. The availability of medicineshas increased 90%. As a result, more and more teachers are becomingcontributors: Coto reported that the ISBM has incorporated 24,000 newcontributors in the last year.

                  Heis particularly proud of the new recreation center for teachers and theirfamilies. In December 2009 the institute began remodeling the center, which hadbeen closed and in disrepair. From April through December of 2009, the centerregistered about 7,000 users. In just the month of April 2010, when the centerreopened, about 3,000 visitors came to the recreation center - and the flow ofvisitors keeps coming.

                  Aspart of broad government efforts towards transparency and anti-corruption, theISBM issued an exhaustive 46-page summary of the institute’s history, mission,services, budgetary distribution, and operations along with a 37-page reportdetailing the institute’s work throughout its first year under the newadministration. Every teacher in El Salvador received the summary of the ISBMactivities under Coto’s direction. Among the achievements cited are: increasingcoverage of medical services, bringing mental health programs to a nationallevel, and creating an ISBM website to inform users of services and activitieson the national level.

                  Thetransformation of the ISBM provides exciting evidence of the gains being madeunder the government of the FMLN for the benefit of the people of El Salvador.We look forward to hearing more stories like these from our allies in thestruggle for change in the years to come.