La Derecha Diario Public health crisis: 11 million medications weren't supplied in 2024
The shortage of medications has affected millions of Mexicans, whose families have to bear the high costs
No Mexican is unaware of the medication crisis affecting the public health system in Mexico. We are increasingly moving away from the health system of Denmark and getting closer to the health system of Cuba.
The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) faced one of the worst medication supply crises in recent years in 2024. Between January 1 and December 19 of last year, 4,527,281 prescriptions were not filled.
The figure represents more than 11,575,000 pieces of medicine not delivered to beneficiaries. The data was revealed in a report, highlighting an alarming continuity of the problem that has marked the Morena administration.
The Morena government is incapable of supplying medicine.
The shortage with Morena is not new, but it is persistent. In 2023, with AMLO, IMSS did not fill 5,185,000 prescriptions. A figure similar to 2019, when 5,040,000 were not delivered.
However, the most critical period was during the COVID-19 pandemic, between 2020 and 2022, when the shortage exceeded 50 million prescriptions. A shortage that unfortunately caused a considerable number of deaths that could have been prevented.
The medications most affected are those essential for treating chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and mental health conditions. The lack of access to these treatments has forced millions of patients to acquire them on their own, incurring high economic costs and putting their health at risk.
The health system was practically dismantled by AMLO's promises.
Everyone remembers that promise by former president López Obrador, who assured that the Mexican health system "would be better than Denmark's". However, the implemented strategies have not yielded results or, in the worst cases, yield negative results.
Initiatives like the Megafarmacia del Bienestar and the centralization of purchases through Birmex have not solved the problem at its root.
According to the collective Cero Desabasto, the lack of planning, corruption, and logistical deficiencies continue to be the main obstacles to ensuring the timely supply of medications.
Public health experts call for a structural reform.
In the face of this crisis, public health experts have demanded an urgent structural reform. They demand that universal access to medications be guaranteed, improve transparency in acquisitions, and optimize distribution logistics.
They have also called for increased investment in hospital infrastructure and medical personnel.
Far from approaching the quality level of the Danish system, the Mexican health system is mired in a deep crisis. If this situation is not addressed seriously, it will continue to claim lives and deteriorate the well-being of millions of citizens.
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