The current medical supply shortages at social security (CSS) have allegedly turned into a gravy train for close associates of CSS director, Estivenson Giron.
Some medical practitioners have complained about direct procurement contracts with allegedly inflated prices being awarded to businessmen close to Mr. Giron.
The latter announced that emergency medical supplies would be delivered at short notice, something which would demonstrate that he must have alerted "friendly companies" two or thre months in advance in order to allow them to bid for such massive orders.
According to a source that wishes to remain anonymous, none of the current supplies to the CSS hold inventories of the sort of magnitude needed to satisfy emergency orders.
The document by the National Medical Negotiating Commission (Comenenal), which this newspaper had access to, directly questioned the direct contracts awarded for failing to comply with regulations applying to those suppliers that have won public tenders at a fixed price.
“Was there any intention to favour friends supplying medications to the detriment of others not so friendly suppliers providing medical supplies?" the document insinuated.
There documents listed other suspicious facts under its “apocalypse at the CSS” heading: the replacement of the head of the medical technology department and his reappointment to different functions; the instruction that such department fall under the direct jurisdiction of the CSS director himself, which is in patent contravention of the current organizational structure of the institution.
These actions have caused suspicion amongst medical staff, following as they do recent actions by President Juan Carlos Varela himself, who acted barely within procedural rules by ordering direct procurement of medical supplies as a solution to supply shortages.
“They're leaving 4000 purchase orders at a fixed price to one side, in order to proceed with direct purchases', Comemenal denounced. In addition, purchase orders are being issued to businesses that have never competed in similar tenders.
The CSS director is in the firing line of the insured as a result of the crisis faced by the institution, which represents something 'never seen before';, according to analysts.
Many see the risk of a systemic collapse of the healthcare system, considering the critical conditions seen across medical attention, medical supplies and finances at the CSS.
Medical procedures such as surgeries have been badly affected by supply shortages that have reached as high as 60 per cent in some regions, pointing to the current administration's inability to solve the crisis.
According to Comenenal, all points to an inability to face future crises at the CSS.
Former CSS director and economist Juan Jovane highlighted how both the CSS and the health ministry are inefficient, and how the current shortage in medical supplies and medicines is 'something never seen before'. 'There is a perception of lack of transparency across all processes, while department chiefs are being moved around so that no one is held responsible for their ineptitude”, Mr. Jovane have added.
For his part, the president of the Amechm-Chiriquí, Domingo Moreno, went on record saying that the problems will not be solved as long as the administration remains trapped in the current system of nepotism and patronage.
