Introduction and Background
The Mexican government has announced the launch of a new drug distribution program, Rutas de la Salud, set to commence nationwide in August. This initiative aims for national coverage with a budget of over 120 million pesos, significantly less than the previous government-contracted last-mile distribution deals ranging from 700 to 800 million pesos.
Key Players and Origins
The program originates from Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle García’s initiative, which started with an investment of 6.6 million pesos in a fleet of 11 vehicles, achieving a 70% coverage in health units across 11 sanitary districts. This success inspired the national Rutas de la Salud program, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Resources and Strategy
Rutas de la Salud will utilize 96 3.5-ton trucks, 38 1.5-ton trucks, 35 sanitary boxes, and 27 refrigerated boxes, along with boats for island deliveries. The program will leverage the resources, vehicles, and storage facilities of each federal entity’s sanitary jurisdictions operating under IMSS Bienestar.
Birmex, a semi-public company, will manage the Rutas de la Salud program. Birmex has a history of failures in logistics and distribution tasks since the previous and current administrations.
Challenges and Previous Failures
The new drug distribution initiative faces challenges, as the government’s previous attempts to combat private distributor “oligopolies” have resulted in persistent medication shortages over the past six years. Notable failures include the megafarmacia launched during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s sexenio, which aimed to deliver medications within 24-48 hours using helicopters for remote areas.
The recent fraud discovery in a large-scale medication procurement licitation, coupled with Birmex’s history of failures, raises concerns about the new program’s success.
Competition with Private Sector
Birmex will compete against approximately 1,000 private distributors, with 100 offering nationwide coverage. These companies have well-established warehouses and transport systems adhering to strict health regulations, providing direct deliveries to operating rooms or hospital floors using advanced technology and big data for optimized logistics routes.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is Rutas de la Salud? A new drug distribution program by the Mexican government aiming for nationwide coverage.
- Who is managing the program? Birmex, a semi-public company with a history of logistics failures.
- What are the resources available for Rutas de la Salud? 96 trucks, 38 smaller trucks, sanitary boxes, refrigerated boxes, and boats for island deliveries.
- How many private distributors will Birmex compete with? Around 1,000 private distributors, including 100 with nationwide coverage.
- What are the concerns regarding Rutas de la Salud? Birmex’s history of failures and the government’s previous logistics challenges.
