Sicarelle Holdings Hospital Laundry Contract Debacle

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When a "hospital" hotel becomes  health risk

Trucks uded to carry farm animals trnspoty laundry

Posted 15/07/2020

The Minister of  Health and the Office of the Presidency are dodging questions about the direct hiring of a company with a network of “connections that according to reports makes use of state assets and fails comply with sanitary protocols in providing cleaning and laundry services for hotel-hospitals during the coronavirus epidemic.

So far, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) has refused to answer questions about the hiring which according to La Prensa and people who have been isolated is risking the health . of looking avoid or Covid-19.

The cleaning  of 1,315 hotel  rooms is a vital hygiene service for the confined people, but the report details sloppy cleaning  irregular changing of bed linen, and laundry procedures that fail to meet health protocols

The Minsa pays the hoteliers $15 per night for each occupied room plus 50% of electricity consumption. The rate does not include cleaning or disinfection of rooms or laundry.

These services are handled by Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. –confirmed hoteliers–, which is dedicated to hospital cleaning but for the first time is hired for the laundry service, which means little or no experience in a specialized field due to its sanitary and biosafety characteristics.

According to business sources, the Minsa agreed to pay Sicarelle between $45 and $50 for the daily cleaning of each occupied room - an expense of approximately $1 million a month.

“Confirming thein formation, however, is a difficult task as neither the Minsa nor the Presidency have wanted to give explanations about the hiring, despite the fact that this medium has tried to know it more than a dozen times, since May 25, even invoking the Transparency Law” says La Prensa.

his medium has been able to verify that Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. uses water, light and physical space from at least two public hospitals to provide a questionable service.

La Prensa consulted nurses and patients from different hotels. and found that clothes are washed once a week: every Thursday and Friday they are collected and returned a week and a half later. , in other cases, they go through the 14-day quarantine without receiving clean sheets and some patients had to wash clothes in the bathroom. Others complained that cleaning consisted of mopping chlorine on the floor while surfaces were ignored.

“A patient staying at one  hotel for 20 days, revealed that when she arrived l, she received a room with an unmade bed with a sheet covering the mattress. It was not until the 17th day of her stay that they changed sheets and towels after insisting. "

Covid-19 patients admitted to hospitals change their clothes, sheets and towels at least once and up to four times a day, depending on secretions and fluids. For patients at home or isolated, this change and laundry should be, at least once a day, for biosafety said doctor and epidemiologist Felicia Tulloch. She said that the virus can stay up to eight hours in clothing, so extreme care must be taken. Virologist Sandra López Verges I said that the change of clothes should be at least once or twice a day. And if the person coughs without a mask, it is necessary to change it immediately, due to the permanence of the virus in the clothes.

La Prensa said the laundering  was done using for free eater and electricuty   a state hospital facility without proper bio-security controls

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/when-a-ampampampampquothospitalampampampampquot-hotel-becomes-health-risk-1

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Contraloría promete investigar, ministro de Salud sigue sin responder

¿Cómo controla el Ministerio de Salud que Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. cumpla con la bioseguridad para el lavado de ropa y aseo de los hoteles? El ministro Sucre evade sistemáticamente a este medio.

 

Mary Triny Zea

16 jul 2020 - 12:24 AM

Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. utiliza agua, luz y espacio físico de hospitales públicos para dar un servicio sin medidas de bioseguridad, pero por los que pagará el Estado. Retira la ropa en este carro de transportar ganadoEdilsa González Roca

 

Silencio total es la respuesta del Ministerio de Salud (Minsa) a las reiteradas preguntas de La Prensa sobre los controles de bioseguridad en el servicio de lavado de ropa de cama y limpieza de las habitaciones de los hoteles-hospitales donde están alojados pacientes contagiados con la Covid-19. Estos servicios fueron contratados de forma directa por el Minsa a la empresa Sicarelle Holdings, Inc.

El Minsa y el Ministerio de la Presidencia tampoco han respondido sobre el costo de esta contratación, pese a que este medio lo viene solicitando desde el pasado 25 de mayo, a través de la Ley de Transparencia y mediante cuestionarios dirigidos a los equipos de prensa y llamadas al ministro.

Quien sí se pronunció al respecto fue el contralor, Gerardo Solís, quien prometió que cuando la documentación referente a este servicio llegue a la Contraloría General de la República (CGR) lo hará público y pondría atención a esta contratación mediante el “control posterior para determinar el alcance y las circunstancias del hecho.

“Cuando llegue a la Contraloría, yo veré los detalles y me aseguraré de que usen bien los recursos del Estado”, expresó Solís en un mensaje de texto desde su celular.

Añadió que lo que no haya sido refrendado será “meticulosamente escudriñado con el control previo”.

Gerardo Solís, contralor de la RepúblicaArchivo

Por ahora, el portal Panamá Compra no tiene detalle alguno de esta contratación directa. Tampoco el portal de la CGR sobre pagos a la empresa por estos servicios.

Una investigación de La Prensa reveló que Sicarelle utiliza recursos del Estado, como agua, luz e instalaciones hospitalarias estatales para lavar la ropa que usan los pacientes aislados en hoteles, servicio por el que le cobra al Estado –según fuentes empresariales– unos $45 diarios por habitación, lo que sería aproximadamente un millón de dólares mensuales.

Pacientes y enfermeras narraron a La Prensa que la ropa de cama se lava una vez a la semana y retorna semana y media después. Además, no se desinfectan las superficies de las habitaciones, tal como lo recomienda el Minsa. Esta tarea es exclusiva de Sicarelle Holdings Inc, toda vez que el trato de los hoteleros es solo facilitar la habitación.

Virólogos y epidemiólogos indicaron que lo recomendable, por bioseguridad, es mínimo un cambio diario de ropa de cama y la que usan los pacientes contagiados, así como la limpieza de las superficies.

“Si ha sido cuestionada [la empresa], tendremos que abrir una investigación... y si fuese así, tendremos que tomar las decisiones necesarias. Tengo que elevar las preocupaciones que ustedes me están solicitando de manera inmediata. Saliendo de aquí, voy a solicitarle a las personas que están encargadas de la parte logística de los hoteles que me hagan el análisis de esta situación”, dijo ayer el ministro de Salud, Luis Francisco Sucre, en el noticiero matutino de TVN al ser abordado al respecto.

Por la tarde, La Prensa reintentó obtener respuestas del ministro y conocer el resultado de las consultas prometidas en TVN, pero no atendió las llamadas a su celular ni los mensajes dejados con su equipo de prensa.

Luis Sucre, ministro de Salud, no da explicaciones. Archivo

Gail de Cedeño, paciente que padeció la Covid-19 y que estuvo aislada en un hotel-hospital de la capital durante 26 días, contó que recibió la habitación con polvo; que la limpieza se hacía cada dos días y únicamente el piso. Para hacerlo, le pedían a todos los pacientes salir al pasillo del hotel, con lo cual se mezclaban entre ellos. Dada la situación, dijo que tuvo que pedir que le compraran productos para limpiar ella misma la habitación.

En cuanto al lavado de ropa –al igual que contaron otros pacientes y enfermeras– Cedeño detalló que se efectuaba una vez por semana, y en vista de que su ropa la extraviaron, prefirió hacerlo ella misma.

Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. es una empresa que ha facturado entre 2012 y 2020 servicios de limpieza y desinfección por más de $80 millones con el Estado, según Panamá Compra y refrendos de la Contraloría. Ello, a través de contratos a los que se le han hecho múltiples adendas.

Varios directivos de Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. han sido funcionarios del Estado en diferentes administraciones y en puestos clave para sus contrataciones. Por ejemplo, la actual viceministra de Turismo, Denis Guillén, fue directiva de la empresa desde 2017 y se retiró de esta un mes antes de ingresar al Gobierno, en junio 2019.

Al respecto, Guillén indicó que la Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá “no tiene bajo su responsabilidad estos temas, los mismos los llevan los ministerios de Salud y Seguridad”.

La Prensa también intentó contactar, otra vez, a los representantes de Sicarelle Holdings, pero no contestaron las llamadas ni los correos enviados previamente.

La representante legal de esta empresa es Karina Mirones Castro, y Juan Carlos López y Mónica Rodríguez son los gerentes.

 

Moderator comment: Below is an unedited automated translation of the above news article.

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Comptroller Vows To Investigate, Health Minister Still Unanswered

How does the Ministry of Health control that Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. complies with the biosecurity for laundry and hotel cleaning? Minister Sucre systematically evades this medium.

Mary Triny Zea
Jul 16, 2020 - 12:24 AM

<<hotel-hospital.jpg>>
Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. uses water, electricity and physical space from public hospitals to provide a service without biosecurity measures, but for which the State will pay. Remove the clothes in this cattle transport cartEdilsa González Roca

Total silence is the response of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) to La Prensa's repeated questions about biosecurity controls in the service of washing bedding and cleaning the rooms of hotels-hospitals where patients infected with Covid-19. These services were contracted directly by the Minsa to the company Sicarelle Holdings, Inc.

The Minsa and the Ministry of the Presidency have also not responded on the cost of this hiring, despite the fact that this medium has been requesting it since last May 25, through the Transparency Law and through questionnaires addressed to the press teams and calls to the minister.

Who did pronounce on the matter was the comptroller, Gerardo Solís, who promised that when the documentation referring to this service reaches the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR), it will make it public and pay attention to this hiring by means of the “subsequent control to determine the scope and circumstances of the event.

"When I get to the Comptroller's Office, I will see the details and make sure that they use the State's resources well," Solís said in a text message from his cell phone.

He added that what has not been endorsed will be "meticulously scrutinized with prior control."
solis.jpg
Gerardo Solís, Comptroller of the Republic Archive

For now, the Panama Compra portal has no details of this direct contracting. Neither does the CGR portal on payments to the company for these services.

An investigation by La Prensa revealed that Sicarelle uses state resources, such as water, electricity and state hospital facilities to wash the clothes used by isolated patients in hotels, a service for which it charges the state - according to business sources - about $ 45 a day for room, which would be approximately a million dollars a month.

Patients and nurses told La Prensa that the bedding is washed once a week and returns a week and a half later. In addition, the surfaces of the rooms are not disinfected, as recommended by the Minsa. This task is exclusive to Sicarelle Holdings Inc, since the treatment of hoteliers is only to facilitate the room.

Virologists and epidemiologists indicated that the recommendation, due to biosafety, is a daily change of bed linen and that used by infected patients, as well as the cleaning of surfaces.

"If [the company] has been questioned, we will have to open an investigation ... and if so, we will have to make the necessary decisions. I have to raise the concerns that you are asking me immediately. Leaving here, I am going to ask the people who are in charge of the logistics of the hotels to make an analysis of this situation, "Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre said yesterday in the TVN morning newscast when approached about.

In the afternoon, La Prensa tried again to obtain answers from the minister and to know the results of the promised consultations on TVN, but did not answer the calls to his cell phone or the messages left with his press team.
sucre.jpg
Luis Sucre, Minister of Health, does not give explanations. Archive

Gail de Cedeño, a patient who suffered from Covid-19 and who was isolated in a hotel-hospital in the capital for 26 days, said that she received the room with dust; that cleaning was done every other day and only the floor. To do this, they asked all patients to go out into the hotel corridor, where they mixed with each other. Given the situation, she said she had to ask them to buy products to clean the room herself.

As for washing clothes - as other patients and nurses reported - Cedeño explained that it was done once a week, and since her clothes were lost, she preferred to do it herself.

Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. is a company that has invoiced cleaning and disinfection services for more than $ 80 million between 2012 and 2020 with the State, according to Panama Compra and countersignatures of the Comptroller. This, through contracts to which multiple addenda have been made.

Several directors of Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. have been State officials in different administrations and in key positions for their contracts. For example, the current Deputy Minister of Tourism, Denis Guillén, was a director of the company since 2017 and retired from it a month before joining the Government, in June 2019.

In this regard, Guillén indicated that the Panama Tourism Authority "is not responsible for these issues, they are handled by the Ministries of Health and Safety."

La Prensa also tried to contact Sicarelle Holdings representatives again, but they did not answer calls or emails previously sent.

The legal representative of this company is Karina Mirones Castro, and Juan Carlos López and Mónica Rodríguez are the managers.

 

https://www.prensa.com/impresa/panorama/la-contraloria-investigara-servicio-en-hoteles-hospitales/

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Hoteliers  want “hotel hospital“ cleaning contract halted

The washing machines used to launder patients' bedding in an open space next to a hospital morgue.

Posted 16/07/2020

The    Panama Hotel Association (Apatel )has called for the immediate suspension of the “unacceptable contract signed by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) for  laundry service and cleaning of rooms of hotel-hospitals where patients with Covid-19 are lodged.

 The association accused the authorities of allowing sanitary regulations to be breached, in  the premises of its members.

"It is unacceptable that companies without a track record, without equipment and without following the strict sanitary protocols that the Ministry of Health itself requires, operate from our facilities in conditions of little transparency," Apatel said in a statement, in which it repudiates the direct contract of the Minsa to Sicarelle Holdings, Inc.

"Our discomfort increases because despite the fact that a large group of hotels have ceded their facilities without covering their costs to the medical and security authorities, they have never made the agreed payments, plunging these hotels into a deep crisis of non-payment to third parties that threatens their existence. 

In addition to constituting a violation of the agreed terms, this discourages other hotels from joining the initiative, thereby affecting the nation and especially the Covid-19 patients, "says Apatel.

The current Vice Minister of Tourism, Denis Guillén , was a director of Sicarelle Holding from November 2017 to June 2019. A month before joining the Government he left the company.

Since the first contagion was announced in Panama, on March 9, numerous hotels offered their facilities to house the sick, at the request of thPanama Tourism Authority (ATP) The agreements do not include the provision of cleaning, laundry and food services by the participating hotels.

 "In each of the negotiations held with our members, the authorities appealed to the need to be 'in solidarity', citing the lack of budget for this purpose by the nation," Apatel said

As of Wednesday, July 15, there were 1,315 hotel-hospital rooms available for patients. Currently, about 670 sick people area staying.

The Minsa agreed with the hoteliers to pay a rate of $15 per night of room occupied, plus 50% of electricity consumption. The rate does not include the cleaning or disinfection of rooms or the washing of clothes, a service that was awarded to Sicarelle Holding, a company that, in order to comply with this contract, uses State assets and fails to comply with sanitary protocols  a La Prensa investigation revealed.

"We repudiate that a company whose experience is cleaning offices and premises has been contracted to provide laundry and cleaning services for hotel bedding and clothing infected by the virus, particularly from facilities owned by third parties," says. Apatel. in its statement.

The union asks the authorities for exemplary sanctions for those who fail to comply with sanitary measures in hotel facilities and to open an expedited bidding process for services provided by third parties, to ensure reasonable and competitive costs for the country.

It also requests the immediate payment of outstanding debts with hotels contracted as patient shelters. Apatel did not specify the amount of the debt, but asks its members "to refrain from entering into agreements that do not ensure public transparency in the provision of outsourced services contracted by the authorities."

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/hoteliers-want-hotel-hospital-cleaning-contract-halted

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Inquiry into hotel-hospital cleaning company  saya Health Minister

Posted 18/07/2020

An investigation has been requested into the compliance of the company [Sicarelle Holding, Inc.] provider of cleaning and laundry services for hotels-hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic, said  Panama’s, Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre.

The  Ministry held a face-to-face press conference instead of the usual virtual event after La Prensa revealed a questionable service in hotel-hospitals, where it profits from state assets.

"We have asked for reports of the hiring process and to support us as to why this company is hired, and its compliance." This should be done by the Minsa nursing and administration team, he said.

"If it is verified that the company does not fulfill its commitment, we will change it,"  he said.

After a lengthy in investigation revealing alleged flaws in the sanitary cleaning of patients’ rooms and  infrequent changing of bedding, the company which had dodged requests for an interview published an anonymous message and a lawyer accused La Prensa of being pushed by a rival cleaning company, and said it was the responsibility of patients or the Minsa to change the bedding 

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/inquiry-into-hotel-hospital-cleaning-company-saya-health-minister

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El Minsa investigará los servicios de Sicarelle

No se licitará el servicio sin el resultado de la investigación. El Minsa excusó la contratación directa, alegando que requerían rápido una empresa con experiencia.

 

Mary Triny Zea

19 jul 2020 - 01:16 AM

El Minsa contrató directamente a Sicarelle por la rapidez en la que se requería el servicio de una empresa con experiencia, dijo el titular del Min sa. Miguel Cavalli

 

En rueda de prensa celebrada en la Presidencia de la República –en la que se permitió solo una pregunta por medio–, el Ministerio de Salud (Minsa), por primera vez, respondió preguntas sobre la contratación directa de limpieza, desinfección y disposición de basura en los hoteles-hospitales, así como el servicio de lavar y secar la ropa de pacientes en estas instalaciones.

No obstante, el contrato con la empresa Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. por estos servicios sigue sin ser revelado; ni siquiera aparece en el portal de contrataciones públicas.

La Prensa intentó hacer las preguntas que envió hace más de un mes, a través del equipo de prensa del Minsa. El ministro Luis Sucre contestó algunas, pero apresuradamente dejó la sala; que iba a otra reunión, y pidió que el medio sacara una cita con Relaciones Públicas, para hablar del tema.

Sucre, acompañado del director de Contrataciones Públicas, Raphael Fuentes, y de la jefa de Enfermería, Eusebia de Copete, dijo que, tras la investigación de La Prensa, se abriría una investigación de los servicios que presta Sicarelle en los hoteles-hospitales.

Sucre rechazó la petición de la Asociación Panameña de Hoteles (Apatel) de convocar una licitación por los servicios que da Sicarelle, hasta no tener el resultado de la investigación, subrayó.

El ministro aseguró que estos servicios no los pueden brindar los hoteleros, que, a través de la Apatel, dijeron tener infraestructura para hacerlo, pero que confiaron en la contratación del Minsa. Según Sucre, se requiere una empresa con experiencia.

Precisamente, recordó Sucre, Sicarelle hace la limpieza de hospitales, contrato que era de unos $15 millones y que lleva ya cinco adendas, que duplican su precio original.

Pero Sicarelle no tenía experiencia en lavandería. Instaló cuatro centros de lavado de uso doméstico en dos hospitales públicos para dar el servicio.

“Lavar ropa de un hospital no lo puede hacer cualquier persona, lo hace un equipo humano que uno entrena, lo hace un equipo. Esto lleva una técnica, no es solo lavar la ropa y que regrese limpia, sino cómo se maneja el equipo”, indicó el ministro.

El manejo de la bioseguridad por parte de Sicarelle fue cuestionado por médicos, pacientes y particulares. Como, por ejemplo, la carencia de barreras sanitarias, hecho que llegó a oídos de la directora regional de Salud de Chiriquí, Gladys Novoa.

En la rueda de prensa se indicó que las enfermeras son muy rígidas con el cumplimiento del protocolo y son las que indican dónde se debe limpiar y con qué frecuencia.

En contraste, La Prensa recibió quejas de pacientes que relataron cómo solicitaban lavar la ropa y les decían que lo hicieran ellos mismos, y que pasaban más de 14 días sin que se hiciera cambio de sábanas ni toallas.

¿Cada cuánto tiempo se debe lavar la ropa?

“El cambio o lavado de ropa de cama debe ser por lo menos cada dos o tres días”, dijo Sucre, que también comentó que le pedían a los pacientes que llevaran ropa de cama de su casa, “para que ellos pudieran ponerlo en caso de que se atrase” el servicio.

¿Por qué no hacerlo a diario, como han recomendado epidemiólogos o virólogos?, preguntó La Prensa.

“Lo que se estableció en el protocolo es cada dos días la ropa de cama o, por lo menos, que la empresa la busque cada dos días. Si tiene sábanas extras, se le buscarán”, dijo Sucre, y que desconocía las recomendaciones.

En una rueda de prensa anterior, la jefa de enfermeras indicó que este lavado se hacía semanalmente, aunque Mónica Rodríguez, abogada y gerente de Sicarelle, afirmó que el lavado era a solicitud de los pacientes y que ellos no se encargaban del cambio de la ropa de cama, sino el Minsa o los pacientes.

El Gobierno resaltó sus esfuerzos por ser transparente, y las innovaciones en el portal de Contrataciones Públicas, en el que se habilitaron nuevas secciones para reportar las compras por la pandemia, pero los servicios de Sicarelle no se han hecho públicos.

Según la Dirección de Contrataciones Públicas, se publicará, cuando haya pasado el proceso de fiscalización y el refrendo de Contraloría.

Si en el portal Panamá Compra se han publicado compras cuyos procesos aún no concluyen, ¿por qué no se publica el contrato de Sicarelle?, preguntó La Prensa.

“Esa respuesta se la puede dar la licenciada Arelia Jaén, de la Dirección de Contrataciones Públicas”, se excusó el ministro Sucre.

En la rueda de prensa, hubo reclamos por las publicaciones de este medio. Copete detalló el esfuerzo y horas adicionales de trabajo de las enfermeras a causa de la pandemia. “Yo no soy periodista, pero cuando uno va a dar una información debe verificarla. Deben ir a la fuente primaria para aclarar las cosas”, indicó.

Lo dijo sin aparentemente saber que este medio ha enviado, desde el pasado 25 de mayo, cartas con base en la Ley de Transparencia, y correos con cuestionarios al equipo de prensa del ministerio, y más de una decena de llamadas al titular del Minsa.

“Tengo 823 mensajes [en mi celular] que no he podido responder, y tres semanas de ser ministro”, se excusó Sucre, sin recordar que antes era el viceministro de la misma cartera.

 

 

 

Moderator comment: Below is an unedited automated translation of the above news article, not including the embedded Tweets.

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The Minsa will investigate the services of Sicarelle

The service will not be tendered without the result of the investigation. The Minsa excused direct contracting, alleging that they required an experienced company quickly.

Mary Triny Zea
Jul 19, 2020 - 01:16 AM

<<NXFM56C3CFCJPHS67ZEIG5I5TY.jpg>>
The Minsa directly hired Sicarelle for the speed in which the service of an experienced company was required, said the head of the Min sa. Miguel Cavalli

In a press conference held at the Presidency of the Republic - in which only one question was allowed per half -, the Ministry of Health (Minsa), for the first time, answered questions about the direct contracting of cleaning, disinfection and garbage disposal. in hospital hotels, as well as the service of washing and drying patient clothes in these facilities.

However, the contract with the company Sicarelle Holdings, Inc. for these services remains undisclosed; It doesn't even appear on the public procurement portal.

La Prensa tried to ask the questions that it sent more than a month ago, through the Minsa press team. Minister Luis Sucre answered some, but hastily left the room; that he was going to another meeting, and asked that the media make an appointment with Public Relations, to discuss the issue.

Sucre, accompanied by the director of Public Procurement, Raphael Fuentes, and the head of Nursing, Eusebia de Copete, said that, following the investigation by La Prensa, an investigation of the services Sicarelle provides in hotel-hospitals would be opened.

Sucre rejected the request of the Panamanian Hotel Association (Apatel) to call a tender for the services that Sicarelle provides, until the result of the investigation was obtained, he stressed.

The minister assured that these services cannot be provided by hoteliers, who, through Apatel, said they have the infrastructure to do so, but who trusted Minsa's hiring. According to Sucre, an experienced company is required.

Precisely, Sucre recalled, Sicarelle does the cleaning of hospitals, a contract that was about $ 15 million and that already has five addenda, which double its original price.

But Sicarelle had no laundry experience. It installed four washing centers for domestic use in two public hospitals to provide the service.

“Washing clothes from a hospital cannot be done by anyone, it is done by a human team that you train, by a team. This has a technique, it is not only to wash clothes and make them come back clean, but how the equipment is handled, ”said the minister.

Sicarelle's handling of biosecurity was questioned by doctors, patients and individuals. As, for example, the lack of sanitary barriers, a fact that reached the ears of the regional director of Health of Chiriquí, Gladys Novoa.

At the press conference it was indicated that the nurses are very rigid with respect to the protocol and are the ones that indicate where it should be cleaned and how often.

In contrast, La Prensa received complaints from patients who reported how they requested to wash clothes and told them to do it themselves, and that more than 14 days went by without a change of sheets or towels.

How often should you wash clothes?

"The change or washing of bedding should be at least every two or three days," said Sucre, who also commented that patients were asked to bring bedding from home, "so they could put it in case the service is delayed ”.

Why not do it daily, as epidemiologists or virologists have recommended? La Prensa asked.

"What was established in the protocol is bedding every two days or, at least, that the company searches for it every other day. If you have extra sheets, they will look for you, "said Sucre, who was unaware of the recommendations.

In a previous press conference, the head of nurses indicated that this washing was done weekly, although Mónica Rodríguez, Sicarelle's lawyer and manager, stated that the washing was at the request of the patients and that they were not in charge of changing the clothes of bed, but the Minsa or the patients.

The Government highlighted its efforts to be transparent, and the innovations in the Public Procurement portal, in which new sections were enabled to report purchases due to the pandemic, but Sicarelle's services have not been made public.

According to the Public Procurement Directorate, it will be published when the inspection process and the countersignature of the Comptroller have passed.

If purchases whose processes have not yet concluded have been published on the Panama Compra portal, why is Sicarelle's contract not published? La Prensa asked.

"That answer can be given by attorney Arelia Jaén, from the Directorate of Public Procurement," Minister Sucre apologized.

At the press conference, there were complaints about the publications of this medium. Copete detailed the nurses' effort and additional hours of work due to the pandemic. “I am not a journalist, but when you are going to give information you must verify it. They must go to the primary source to clarify things, "he said.

She said this without apparently knowing that this media has sent, since May 25, letters based on the Transparency Law, and emails with questionnaires to the press team of the ministry, and more than a dozen calls to the head of the Minsa.

"I have 823 messages [on my cell phone] that I have not been able to reply, and three weeks of being a minister," Sucre excused himself, not remembering that he was previously the vice minister of the same portfolio.

https://www.prensa.com/impresa/panorama/el-minsa-investigara-los-servicios-de-sicarelle/