Ssa investigates possible corruption in the list of drugs for the national compendium

Angeles Cruz Martinez

Newspaper La Jornada
Monday, June 13, 2022, p. 16

The internal control body (OIC) of the Ministry of Health (Ssa) has been investigating for more than a year the alleged irregularities for the inclusion of medicines, equipment and healing material in the National Compendium of Health Supplies (CNIS, formerly Catalog and Basic Table of Medications) by the General Health Council (CSG). Although it has evidence of the anomalies, possible corruption and conflicts of interest of public servants since 2019, according to trades where it requested specific data, the opinion is still pending.

In several communications, of which La Jornada has a copy, the OIC requested duplicates of the expert evaluations to approve the inclusion of five nutritional products and the drug Borosumab for the control of a rare disease. He also requested the documents that had to be presented to justify the incorporation to the CNIS, as well as the letter of no conflict of interest of the evaluators. Faced with partial responses, the OIC reiterated the requirements and even for some, gave the CSG a period of 24 business hours to respond.

Borosumab – indicated for the treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemia in children aged 1 to 17 years with radiographic evidence of bone disease – was incorporated into the CNIS on September 24, 2021 and the OIC questioned the name, position and affiliation of the official who reviewed assessed and determined that the product fully complied with the requirements established in the Internal Regulations of the Interinstitutional Commission of the Basic Table of Inputs of the health sector.

Complainants point to the behavior of the head of the area, César Alberto Cruz Santiago and collaborators, of allegedly favoring companies to authorize the entry of their products into the CNIS. In exchange, public servants supposedly receive money, and in some cases millionaire sumssaid people who filed anonymous complaints with the OIC.

The importance of medicines, healing material, equipment and medical devices being part of the CNIS is that from that moment they can be acquired by public health institutions.

Complainants pointed out that due to the dissemination of the irregularities, “instead of correcting and, at least, removing the officials mentioned, a climate of harassment was unleashed against the CSG workers, whom they accuse – without evidence – of having leaked the information. . Some even got fired.” La Jornada looked for an affected worker, but he did not want to talk.

The Secretary of Health, Jorge Alcocer, and sector authorities have received information about the alleged irregularities in the CSG. A letter, dated February 19, 2022, reiterated the accusations against Cruz Santiago, who has acted under significant conflict of interestbecause he also serves as president of Ispor Mexican chapter.

Ispor brings together pharmaceutical laboratories; It is responsible for establishing strategies for the sale of health supplies to the public sector. Until a few weeks ago, Cruz Santiago had her position in Ispor on her Twitter profile.

The text highlights that the accusations were formalized with complaints before the OIC, with folios: 9501/2022/PPC/SS/DE111, 1869/2022 and 40542/2021/PPC/SS/DE265. These are added to others that were presented to the Ministry of Public Administration.