The donation of medicine to care for patients with severe symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) —labelled as property of the health sector— by a private doctor, generated controversy on social networks; In this regard, the former delegate of Government of Mexico in Colima, Indira Vizcaíno —Who was invited to witness said donation— assured that he will denounce in case of any irregularity. What else is known so far?
The chronology of events
Last Wednesday (February 3) the private doctor Ugo Mendoza Aguilar went to the delegation of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Colima to donate boxes of Norepinephrine, a drug used to care for patients with severe symptoms of Covid-19. In the delivery, he was accompanied by Morena’s candidate for the state governorship, Indira Vizcaíno, and the IMSS delegate in the entity, Edgar Javán Vargas.
Shortly after the delivery of the drug was made public on Facebook, users of that social network began to question why the legend “property of the health sector” was visible on the drug boxes. These criticisms were taken up by local media.
On Thursday (February 4), the doctor Mendoza Aguilar published a message on his personal profile where he specified that to make the donation, he gave the IMSS the documents that were required, including the original invoice, in order to guarantee that the medicines had been acquired in a lawful way.
“Yesterday with great pleasure and emotion I had the opportunity to make a donation to the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social; however, in social networks this situation is being distorted. In order to clarify the facts, I want to share the following: to make the donation, give the Institute the necessary documentation (including original invoice) for the correct monitoring of the administrative procedures and times set by the IMSS through its legal area, itself that it must ensure the legal origin of the drugs to consider the donation valid ”, he indicated.
“I reiterate my desire to serve in accordance with the medical and institutional standards of the IMSS, whom I thank for their support during the process,” he added.
If there is illegality, I will file a complaint myself: Indira
This Friday (February 5) Indira Vizcaíno asked Mendoza Aguilar to demand that the company that sold her the boxes of Norepinephrine proof of the legal origin of the drug, in order to clarify the controversy that arose in this regard.
She was emphatic in stating that, if there were any irregularities in their acquisition, they would go to report to the relevant authority so that whoever is responsible is punished.
“Under no circumstances would I endorse an irregular donation, hence, if there is any indication of illegality in this response, I will be the one to file a complaint with the authority to punish whoever is responsible.”
“It must be investigated”: Deputy Farías reacts to the controversy over drugs
This Friday morning, the coordinator of the PT bench in the local Congress, Carlos César Farías, told local media that in the next legislative session he would present a point of agreement to investigate the provenance of the drug that was delivered to the IMSS in donation. In his opinion, it was an illegal act “that must be investigated and punished with a heavy hand.”
“These medicines cannot be sold, they are for the use of the Health Sector, they are not for the private sector (…) It seems to me that they are donating an important batch of medicine that was obtained illegally, corruptly. I have no idea how they were made, but I do know that they could not be sold to anyone, “he said.
