2023-09-30 23:22:18
This week it was learned that the Ministry of Health denounced the former head of that ministry, Fernando Ruiz, and part of his team, for three crimes related to the purchase of anti-malarial drugs when he was in charge during the government of former president Iván Duque.
(Also read: Government denounces former minister Fernando Ruiz for buying excessive medications)
The complaint, filed in July of this year, was for the crimes of embezzlement by appropriation in favor of third parties, contract without compliance with legal requirements and prevarication by omission.
The events would have occurred, according to Rodolfo Enrique Salas, legal director of the Ministry of Health and who filed the complaint, on March 5, 2021, when the document was issued to acquire artemether and lumenfantrine, two medications used for the treatment of malaria. . The contract was given directly to acquire the medicines with the Pan American Health Organization.
(Also read: Ruiz attacks the Government for monkeypox vaccines)
The problem, according to the complaint, is that 2,145,000 doses of medications were purchased, but only 104,202 were necessary, so today there would be a surplus of 1,9727,121 medications stored in the Ministry.
The problem is such that according to Cambio magazine, the Government is processing the documentation to donate the medicines to Pakistan. In that sense, not only Ruiz, but also the former secretary general of the Ministry of Health, professionals from the Subdirectorate of Communicable Diseases and the former vice minister of Public Health are denounced for the detriment of property to the Ministry of Health.
The problem, according to the complaint, is that 2,145,000 doses of medications were purchased, but only 104,202 were necessary, so today there would be a surplus of 1,9727,121 medications stored in the Ministry.
The problem is such that according to Cambio magazine, the Government is processing the documentation to donate the medicines to Pakistan.
(Read also: Exclusive: ‘The health reform has too many contradictions’, Fernando Ruiz)
“The outburst in the difference presented between what was acquired and the true need was such that it makes it clearly evident that the process is flawed in its legal and technical content for not complying with the principle of planning and identification of the true insufficiency to be covered. “, states the complaint filed with the Prosecutor’s Office.
Former Minister Ruiz’s response to the complaint
Given this, former Minister Ruiz spoke out this Saturday, pointing out that he found out about the complaint through the media and that he is waiting to respond to the call from the judicial authorities.
The former Minister of Health, Fernando Ruiz.
(Also read: Fernando Ruiz, former Minister of Health, joins Carlos Fernando Galán’s campaign)
According to him, the minister’s office, according to current regulations, does not have powers to acquire medicines for the Ministry of Health.
Regarding the situation of malaria medicine, it is necessary to specify that the minister’s office, according to current regulations, does not have the power to acquire medicines for malaria. @MinSaludCol https://t.co/pmMQa2Fe4D
— Fernando Ruiz ???? (@Fruizgomez) September 30, 2023
“I want to say that we will be attentive to going before the competent authorities to give the necessary explanations if this is the case. And I want to illustrate to everyone that this acquisition was made from the Strategic Fund of the Pan-American Health Organization, a non-profit entity from which routine purchases of these same medications have been made for many years and which provides strategic medications to the majority. part of the Latin American countries,” Ruiz said through a video posted on his social networks.
The former official also added that a 19-page report was left regarding said purchase that was delivered to the current Government during the merger, and that all the details of the purchase are given there.
“I want to say and be very clear: about this situation, a 19-page report was left delivered at the different stages of the connection with the incoming government, where this situation was directly specified, the actions that were taken and recommendations were made for the continuity of said actions to be able to resolve and resolve this situation,” added Ruiz.
Ruiz’s criticisms of the reform
Former Minister Ruiz has been one of the staunchest critics of the health reform proposed by the Government. Since the project became known, the former official has led a group of former ministers, experts and technicians in the health area with the aim of rethinking the project.
(Also read: Duque describes the Petro government’s complaint against former minister Fernando Ruíz as persecution)
Minister Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo greets former minister Fernando Ruiz.
Photo:
Mauricio Moreno. TIME
This group of key actors in the health sector calls itself the National Pact for a Better Health System, through which they have requested on several occasions that the Government withdraw the reform project that is currently being discussed in the plenary session of the House of Representatives.
“The text is absolutely unintelligible. It has parts in which it begins with title one, two, three, then it goes on to chapters. It has too many contradictions within the different topics, for example, those that refer to financing and the care model Only in the legal technique they have too many problems and the procedure has been absolutely chaotic,” Ruiz told EL TIEMPO at the beginning of this year.
In that sense, some have pointed out that this could be the background of the investigation that falls on Ruiz and his team. Among them is former President Iván Duque, who came out in defense of his former Health Minister.
(Also read: The harsh criticism of two former ministers of Gustavo Petro’s health reform)
In response to the judicial action, the former president spoke out on social networks. He described his official as a “honest man, a technical professional” and then highlighted his management during the pandemic.
“He assumed the Ministry of Health in the midst of the worst health crisis in recent history and has had an impeccable career throughout his professional life,” were the words of the former president.
After defending Ruiz, the president described the judicial action as political retaliation for his criticism of the health reform.
“Today, due to his opposition to the disastrous health reform that the government has proposed, to return to the days of Social Security, he is persecuted and accused of purchasing medicines at times of great international price volatility,” Duque declared.
The former president closed the communication by pointing out that “His integrity defeats any attempt to silence his voice.”
EDWIN CAICEDO | HEALTH UNIT
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