Background on Recent Health Initiatives and Their Shortcomings
The current Mexican government has a history of launching large-scale health projects with questionable outcomes. Examples include the Huehuetoca megafarmacy, the annulled mass medication purchase, and Insabi, which collapsed after three years of inefficiency. These poorly planned initiatives, despite their grand promises, have delivered little. Consequently, the newly announced “super program,” the Policy of Prevention and Control of Diseases, has failed to generate enthusiasm or credibility.
Details of the New Policy and Concerns
The proposed policy aims to merge strategic areas addressing critical diseases for Mexicans. As alerted by PAN’s diputado Éctor Jaime Ramírez Barba, this restructuring could eliminate 11 essential programs out of the 27 currently managed by the Secretariat of Health, potentially jeopardizing specialized care and putting patients at risk.
Mexico’s health sector has long faced insufficient funding, with only 6% of the GDP invested—far below the recommended 9-10% by international organizations. Most of this spending falls on families rather than the state, forcing Mexicans to allocate substantial income for medical needs. The current austerity measures have only exacerbated the situation, with the 4T government focusing on further cuts instead of expanding healthcare coverage.
The New Policy: A Closer Look
The “super program” seeks to merge historical programs under the Secretariat of Health, such as those addressing overweight, obesity, and diabetes, epidemiological surveillance, and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention and care.
Critics, like Ramírez Barba, argue that this strategy overlooks individual patient needs and specific treatment requirements. Mexico grapples with an out-of-control obesity epidemic, which, alongside diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, claims thousands of lives annually.
Unclear Implications and Lack of Transparency
The restructuring’s consequences remain unclear, with potential job losses, administrative area eliminations, or project cancellations due to function duplication. This could further weaken the Secretariat of Health, which has already suffered from a shrinking workforce due to the displacement of career technicians in favor of unqualified personnel.
The lack of transparency surrounding the rationale for eliminating programs and demonstrating how savings will lead to efficiencies is a significant concern. The government must first present evidence justifying the removal of these programs and show how cost-cutting will benefit patients and the healthcare system in the long term.
Uncertainties Surrounding Birmex and Vitalmex
Birmex’s Future
While the new structure aims to boost production of reagents, vaccines, and medical devices, assigning these tasks to Birmex raises concerns given its history of failures in both the annulled mass medication purchase and medication distribution.
There’s no clarity on the required investment for necessary infrastructure or whether collaboration with Mexican companies will take place, as the indication is partnerships with Indian firms.
Vitalmex’s Challenges
Vitalmex, the company founded by Jaime Cervantes Hernández, faces significant hurdles as he prepares to sell the business. At 82, Cervantes Hernández has stepped down as president, passing the baton to his son Jaime Cervantes Covarrubias. The challenge lies in readying Vitalmex for sale, a company generating annual revenues of 6.5 billion pesos and employing nearly 2,000 people.
Cervantes Covarrubias, now the general director, successfully grew Vitalmex tenfold during his tenure. Although Cervantes Hernández will remain a honorary advisor, he aims to direct his energy toward Vitacor, Mexico’s first domestically produced artificial heart with great potential to save lives of patients with advanced heart failure.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the new health program? The “super program” is called the Policy of Prevention and Control of Diseases, which aims to merge various health programs under one umbrella.
- Why are people concerned about this new policy? Critics argue that the policy overlooks individual patient needs and specific treatment requirements, potentially jeopardizing specialized care.
- What are the concerns regarding Birmex’s role in this new policy? There are worries about Birmex’s history of failures and the lack of clarity on required investments and potential collaboration with Mexican companies.
- What challenges does Vitalmex face? Vitalmex’s founder, Jaime Cervantes Hernández, is preparing to sell the company, with his son taking over as general director. The challenge lies in readying Vitalmex for sale while Cervantes Hernández focuses on Vitacor, an artificial heart with significant potential.
