Introduction
During a recent presidential morning press conference, Raquel Buenrostro, the Secretary of Anti-Corruption and Good Governance, highlighted two cases that expose the chaotic state of healthcare and finances inherited from the previous administration. These cases involve defective Philips ventilators and 1,000 ventilators procured by the Insabi under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) government during the COVID-19 crisis.
Case 1: Defective Philips Ventilators
The Cofepris, led by José Novelo Baeza and supervised by Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell, authorized the purchase of various Philips ventilator models. In 2021, the FDA flagged these ventilators for releasing toxic gases and particles. Despite the warning, these ventilators continued to be used and sold in Mexico, lacking a health registration since May 2023. They were even available online. Cofepris initiated proceedings, but the government has not disclosed how many devices were removed or who was penalized.
Key Questions and Answers
- How many defective ventilators are still in use? The exact number remains undisclosed by the government.
- What actions have been taken against those responsible for continuing to use these ventilators? No information has been shared regarding penalties or removals.
Case 2: Financial Mismanagement and Fraud with Insabi Ventilator Procurement
The Insabi, under Juan Antonio Ferrer Aguilar’s leadership, signed a contract with Viva Enterprises Limited on April 4, 2020, for 1,000 ventilators at a cost of $59.2 million, paid in advance. This sum equated to nearly three and a half years of Viva’s annual sales, which averaged $17 million. The high financial risk and lack of technical supervision before approving payment raised red flags.
Of the 1,000 ventilators, only 50 were delivered. Viva claimed to have shipped another 465 through Encore Health, a U.S.-based respiratory services provider. However, Insabi confirmed that none of these ventilators reached Mexico. 650 ventilators were missing, and Viva returned only $17.7 million for about 300 devices. The remaining $41.4 million is currently in litigation before London courts, with a trial scheduled for January 2026.
Key Questions and Answers
- What happened to the remaining 650 ventilators? They were never delivered to Mexico.
- How much money has been recovered from the fraudulent ventilator procurement? Only $17.7 million has been recovered.
Political and Moral Responsibility
The blame for these abuses and the resulting deaths falls on AMLO’s government and those who authorized uncontrolled purchases. Despite their responsibility, Ferrer Aguilar now serves as Mexico’s ambassador to UNESCO with a monthly salary of nearly 216,000 pesos.
Transparency and Accountability
While Claudia Sheinbaum, the mayor, and Raquel Buenrostro, the secretary, deserve recognition for exposing these cases, simply stating “the investigation is with the FGR” is no longer sufficient. The public has a right to know how many defective ventilators remain in hospitals, how much money has been recovered, and who will be penalized.
Sheinbaum has the opportunity to turn these scandals into a model of transparency and accountability by addressing these issues openly with data.
