Panama mass poisoning victims get pension raise

Panama’s cabinet has approved a bill giving an increase of a $200 monthly in the pension of survivors of the mass poisoning of hundreds of people from government-issued medicine.

The increase goes to a decreasing number of those affected by the cough mixture containing diethylene glycol distributed by the Social Security System (CSS) 12 years ago. Over 800. people out of 8000 affected, mostly from humble backgrounds have died, including 20 this year

Hundreds of others suffer from ongoing residual health problems.

The bill – will be presented to the National Assembly in January by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said Vice Minister, Gustavo Valderrama.

The document states that the increase for the 1,069 patients who are already accredited by the Interinstitutional Commission would be effective  February 1, 2019, and is in compliance with the law that sets the revision of the pension every two years.