health

CSS to handle cases

Ministra de Salud Rosario Turner said yesterday that the 6,000 people recently identified as victims of diethylene glycol poisoning by the Ministerio Público is the same group that was identified as victims by the Health Ministry two years ago.

Turner said that the list does not contain any new information.

Rubén López, medicial care director of the Caja de Seguro Social (CSS), said that the agency has received the list and plans to provide medical care for the victims.

The problem, though, is that there are only a few doctors who have experience handling diethylene glycol cases, and the agency expects a significant backlog to build up.

The CSS had been caring for only about 65 victims, but now will have thousands of other patients to look after.

The CSS unknowingly distributed four medicines tainted with diethylene glycol in 2006. Those medicines were made out of ingredients imported from China by a Spanish company.

So far, 138 people have died from the tainted medicine.

The Ministerio Público has sent letters to the Ministerio de Salud and the CSS stating that the victims should receive appropriate medical treatment.