The Mexican Social Security Institute, which heads Zoe Robledo, suffered drug shortage problems in some hospitals in January. Until the end of the first month of the year there were 258 cancer patients who did not receive treatment in Oaxaca, according to the admission of directors of the institution, Juan Luis Ramosreporter specialized in business and technology The Sun of Mexico. However, this problem was solved quickly, before it became a crisis for the institution.
A letter signed by the doctor Julio Mercado Castruitahead of the Deconcentrated Administrative Operation Body (OOAD) Oaxaca, sent to Borsalino González Andrade, director of Administration of the IMSS, indicates that the Delegation had 250 medications out of stock, of which 27 are for cancer treatment and 42 considered “priority” for life support, the rest are essential to reduce prolonged stays in hospital care. . “There is a census of 258 patients undergoing treatment for cancer, who are being denied treatment or receiving incomplete treatments, this determines the greater risk that the Delegation has had in the lack of opportunity in oncological treatment,” he says. the document, of which The Sun of Mexico owns a copy.
Despite the fact that since the beginning of his administration the president Andrés Manuel López Obrador promised that Mexico would have one of the best health systems in the world, comparable to that of Denmark, the problem of shortage of medicines and healing materials for emergencies in Oaxaca persisted until January 29, the date on which the letter was sent . The letter, which is also signed by the head of Medical Benefits, Martha Escobar Vazquezand the head of Supply and Equipment Coordination, Javier Guevara Dávilafrom the OOAD Oaxaca, adds that the lack of authorization for the purchase of these medications makes the quality of patient care poor and, in the worst case, entails imminent risks of high morbidity and mortality.
In accordance with Juan Luis RamosIn addition to facing non-compliance in the delivery of anesthesia, the IMSS suffered for at least two weeks in January from a shortage of medications and treatments in Oaxaca, which affected 258 cancer patients, due to a new policy in which Laboratorios de Biologics and Reactives of Mexico (Birmex) is the entity in charge of purchasing these supplies for the entire country.
This situation was due to the transition for Birmex to acquire medical supplies through consolidated purchases, so the IMSS stopped receiving medicines from central offices, he explained to this newspaper. Moisés Bailón Jiménezhead of Administrative Services of the IMSS Oaxaca.
Bailon Jimenez He acknowledged that this transition affected not only Oaxaca but other entities; however, he assured that it has already been resolved and that to date there is around 96 percent of the supply of medicines in the southern state. “In addition, we have contracts at a central level and when there is non-compliance or delay, emergent purchasing is activated, that is, care is given to the patient with their medical prescription and the Unit has the responsibility of giving them the medication, they can purchase it or pay for it.” cost of the medicine if they decide so,” he explained and thus clarified that they suffered in January, but they managed to resolve the possible crisis that was approaching in one of the issues that has received the most criticism so far in the administration of Lopez Obrador.