Exposing health sector corruption saves lives in Honduras

[Judi Lynn]

Exposing health sector corruption saves lives in Honduras
Posted 28 March 2014

This is the story of how courage and conviction in the fight against corruption can bring real change and save lives. This is also a story of how the corrupt can be brought to justice.

In March 2013, Asociación por una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ), Transparency International’s partner in Honduras, presented a report to the government about corruption in the health sector. It provided proof that millions of dollars worth of medicine were being siphoned off from the state-controlled Almacén Central de Medicamentos (Central Medicines Warehouse), possibly to be sold on the black market. The report revealed how corruption in the purchase, sales and distribution of pharmaceuticals to state hospitals and clinics was endangering the lives of untold numbers of poor Hondurans and others who needed medicine the most. Beyond the missing drugs, with little control on medication entering the depot, counterfeit and expired drugs were making their way to hospitals undetected.

Raid on the warehouse

One week after the report and formal complaint was presented, the Minister of Health ordered a raid on the warehouse, which was put under military control. This measure was taken to prevent employees of the warehouse or other actors from removing or destroying evidence.

The raids were swiftly followed by thorough investigation of the case and resulted in the arrest of six people, including warehouse employees, pharmaceutical suppliers and civil servants. As part of the investigation, one state pharmaceutical supplier was found to be hiding 200 boxes of stolen medicine stashed away in her home.

More:
http://www.transparency.org/news/feature/exposing_health_sector_corruption_saves_lives_in_honduras

[MisterP]

1. after Mitch Cuba sent in doctors: these were the first medical personnel many Hondurans had ever

even seen; this embarrassed the Honduran doctors, who had them expelled

[Judi Lynn]

2. Sickening. Honduras has been a right-wing US puppet too long, what a shame.

Without a doubt the anti-Cuba lobby in the US had everything to do with that.

Remember who was there immediately after the violent coup against Zelaya, maybe on the next plane outta Miami:

Congress"exile" Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who waddled right into the loving embrace of the little tyrant who ran things, beatings, destruction of anti-coup radio and tv stations, tortures, mutilations, targeted political murders, and all, until the entirely illegal "Presidential election."

[center]

Laying down the law for President Micheletti, La Loba Ros-Lehtinen. [/center]