Health Minister May Chomali announced on Thursday that the government had submitted a bill to Congress to supplement the Sanna Law, according to T13. The initiative seeks to give parents and caregivers access to leave from work to support their children after hospitalization following a suicide attempt.
The Sanna Law established insurance that allows mothers, fathers and caregivers to take authorized leave from work when a child has a serious health condition. It currently covers five situations: cancer, transplantation, the terminal phase or stage of life, a serious accident involving a risk of death or severe lasting impairment, and a serious illness requiring hospitalization in intensive or intermediate care.
The bill adds a sixth qualifying circumstance, defined as "hospital discharge following intentional self-inflicted injuries". A self-inflicted injury is harm a person deliberately causes to themselves.
"When a child or adolescent leaves hospital after a self-inflicted injury, their father, mother or legal caregiver will be entitled to 30 days of leave to support them," Chomali explained. She said this would initially be 15 days, with another 15 if the doctor considers it necessary, "without the risk of losing their job".
Under the Ministry of Health (Minsal) proposal, the benefit would cover caregivers of children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 who have been hospitalized following a suicide attempt. Leave could extend to 30 days for each event and each child, counted from the start of the first period of leave.
The process begins at the hospital. The treating physician would issue the first medical leave certificate on the day of discharge or within the following five business days, for an initial period of up to 15 days. T13's report does not specify other details, such as contribution requirements or the amount of the benefit.
The minister explained the purpose of this support. "We hope that with the care provided during hospitalization and with parents supporting them during those 30 days, we can help them out of the crisis that led them to harm themselves so they do not attempt it again," she said.
The government based the initiative on suicide persistently remaining among the leading causes of death among people aged 10 to 19 in Chile. The report does not provide specific figures for that indicator.
The bill must now begin its passage through Congress. If you or someone close to you needs support, you can call *4141, Minsal's suicide prevention line.
