11-year poisoning nightmare continues

PANAMA’S  Administration Prosecutor is trying to light a fire under four government bodies to take action over the  11 years-old diethylene glycol poisoning scandal that killed hundreds and left hundreds more suffering and in need of care.

González sent letters to Miguel Mayo, Minister of Health; Alfredo Martiz, Director of  Social Security (CSS); Humberto Mas, director of the Institute of Legal Medicine and  Forensic Sciences, and Dulcidio De La Guardia, Minister of Economy and Finance.

“I make a formal request  to you to be the auditor and guarantor that, at the time any person who is certified as an affected patient or claims to be affected  and requires the services of the institution under your charge, that they are received and treated with the priority they deserve, in order to ensure respect for their rights, “says Gonzalez in the letters.

The first cases of poisoning in CSS patients were known in September 2006, but there was an early cover-up, and 11 years after the massive casualties from cough syrup contaminated with diethylene glycol, that originated in China, the struggle of the victims in search of justice continues.

They have knocked on the doors of the Social Security Fund (CSS), the entity that distributed the poisoned medicines; have gone to the Ministry of Health, and to the Presidency and have held vigils in front of the Supreme Court and government buildings,

Now, they have reached González, whose office has been received, at least 72 complaints from people who claim better care.

The notes to May, Mas and Martiz were sent on January 5, and to De La Guardia on January 10.

It warns them of his concerns about the situation faced by affected patients and specifically for those people who have repeatedly appealed to the  Public Ministry Attorney General to file complaints against different institutions of the State.

Gonzalez adds that in his capacity as prosecutor  attending to his powers to monitor the official conduct of public servants,  he asks them to be supervisors and guarantors of service to the affected and that “they are  treated with the priority they deserve.”

No Reactions
La Prensa contacted the Public Relations departments of the Ministry of Health, the CSS and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to get reactions to  Gonzalez’s request, but there was no response.

The victims have also approached  National Transparency Authority (Antai). To report the lack of specialists on analysis and case studies in the evaluation committee. Pedro Montañez, a poison victim  said:  “we must also pay attention to the seven medical professionals that make up the commission ” and cited a Ministry of Health resolution, in which two nephrologists and a gastroenterologist of the CSS  were appointed ad honorem in addition, to two specialists of internal medicine and gastroenterology of Hospital Santo Tomás and a lawyer of the MEF, but no  toxicology specialist.

Montanez said a clinical toxicologist, was a fundamental and basic specialty to detect who could have been contaminated by the diethylene glycol.

He said t the specialists with expertise in nephrology, internal medicine and gastroenterology can complement, but not replace the knowledge of a clinical toxicologist reports La Prensa.

Legal moves
On February 1, 50 lawsuits were presented before the Supreme Court on behalf of victims and relatives of people affected by the poison, reports La Prensa.

Each one claims, at least, $6 million from the Panamanian State with the argument that they have not been properly attended.

Among the evidence provided is the ruling of the Criminal Chamber of the Court that sentenced ex-staff members of the CSS and individuals related to the purchase of the raw material with which they made the medicines.

René Luciani, director of the Social Security Fund (CSS) between 2004 and 2009, is being held in El Renacer prison serving a 16-month prison sentence.

the former Director of Pharmacy and Drugs of the Ministry of Health, Pablo Solís, was sentenced to 18 months.

A compliance judge declared the 18-month sentence of Linda Thomas, of the CSS Medicines Laboratory extinguished allowing for time in preventive detention reports La Prensa.