Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Civil servants’ health service robbed of millions in medications

Criminal groups have stolen medications worth tens of millions of pesos from the State Workers’ Social Security Institute (ISSSTE) during the past decade, insurance documents show.

In countless robberies of ISSSTE warehouses since 2008, thieves have made off with large quantities of controlled, specialty and high-cost drugs used to treat autoimmune diseases, cancer and psychiatric disorders, the newspaper Milenio reported.

The largest heist occurred in April 2009 when armed men stole medications valued at more than 27.8 million pesos (US $1.5 million at today’s exchange rate).

When Milenio asked ISSSTE for a list of the drugs stolen, the federal agency denied that the robbery had occurred.

However, the newspaper confirmed that both the federal Attorney General’s Office and its counterpart in Mexico City opened investigations into the theft, and insurance records obtained by Milenio show that several costly drugs were stolen on April 8, 2009.

They included Sorafenib, a drug used to treat kidney and liver cancer, Eptacog Alfa, a hemophilia medication, and leukemia medicine Dasatinib.

News of the massive robbery of medications at ISSSTE follows the uncovering last week of a theft scheme involving fake prescription forms at the IMSS national health service.

President López Obrador said last Monday that the health sector is “infested with corruption.”

The government has announced plans to overhaul healthcare services in Mexico and in January the president declared that Mexico will have a health care system comparable to those in Canada, the United Kingdom and Denmark in two years.

Source: Milenio (sp) 

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Vaquita in the Gulf of California

Vaquita in the Gulf of California sent 41 location signals to scientists, ‘a sign of hope’

0
Recent sound monitoring operations in the upper Gulf of California have logged 41 acoustic encounters with the vaquita, representing a step forward in their conservation.
Mexico economic growth in 2025

Services sector decline drags Mexican economy to 0% growth in May

1
May was the second-worst month-over-month result for the Mexican economy this year after a 0.2% contraction in March, though preliminary data suggests the economy rebounded in June.
Lake Chapala is currently at 54.63% of its capacity — a 14 percentage-point improvement over July 21, 2024.

Jalisco and Guanajuato area water reservoirs rebound after heavy rains

2
Midway through the 2025 rainy season, seven out of Guanajuato's eight dams are operating at above 80% capacity, while Lake Chapala near Guadalajara has 36% more water than last year at this time.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity