Irregularities Among Health Providers Lead to Fines, Suspensions

The Ministry of Public Administration (SFP) imposed sanctions on eight health sector contractors following reports of irregularities in the provision of services and in contracting processes in the last three weeks. The sanctions consist of suspensions and fines that together exceed MX$6.6 million (US$340,000). The Head of the SFP, Irma Erendira Sandoval Ballesteros, stated in a press conference that people's health should not be gambled with, nor should private interests be put before public interests.

IMSS’s internal control body reported several irregularities involving six of the eight companies. One in the case of Drogueria y Farmacia El Globo, meriting two sanctions for the company for falsifying documents in two contracts with that institution. One of those contracts regarded samples of a rapid HIV test, and it was determined that such samples did not comply with the sanitary registration nor with the rules of origin, meriting a sanction of suspension for three years and a fine of MX$1.45 million (US$73,670). The other contract failed to comply with the delivery of magistral medicine and allergens in 2018, meriting a suspension sanction for two years and a fine of MX$905,880 (US$46,021).

Another sanctioned company was Innovaciones Hospitalarias de México, for delivering false information that affected the service of Hospital General Regional No. 72. The company was fined MX$936,076 (US$47,593) and suspended for two years. Similarly, Dacega Corporation was sanctioned with a two-year suspension and a fine of MX$905,696 (US$46,048) after determining that the company falsified sanitary documents in the awarding process for the provision of medical equipment. Licamax was sanctioned for lack of compliance with the delivery of uniforms for health personnel, which merited a suspension sanction of three months and a fine of MX$120, 900 (US$6,147).

Furthermore, ISSSTE sanctioned the company Cima V for submitting false documentation that affected the acquisition of clothing and uniforms for medical and administrative personnel in various units. The sanction consisted of a suspension for 30 months and a fine of MX$1.095 million (US$55,703). In the case of the Ministry of National Defense, Diagnostics Group Clínico Médico Distribución was sanctioned for not signing the contract awarded to it to deliver healing material and failing to comply with the same, leaving a loss of MX$61,747 (US$3,139). In this case, the sanction consisted of a three-month suspension and a fine of MX$127,323 (US$6,473).