Moderators Moderator_03 Posted March 19, 2023 Moderators Share Posted March 19, 2023 Quote Missing opioid 50 times stronger than heroin Posted 17/03/2023 Panama President, Laurentino Cortizo, requested that the Public Ministry be allowed to advance "an important investigation". after a new scandal hit the Social Security Fund (CSS), following the disappearance of 10,000 doses of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "The important thing is that the Public Ministry, which is responsible for investigating, does the job and determines who has participated or articulated in this case." The Office of the Attorney General reported in a statement that it maintains two investigations open for the alleged commission of a crime against the Public Administration, among other crimes, for the facts recently published on social networks that are related to the loss of controlled use medications. Cortizo said that he prefers not to advance criteria in this process, since he trusts the administration of Justice, in which, as President of the Republic, it has been up to him to designate six of the nine magistrates that make up the current Supreme Court of Justice. "I feel calm because I have appointed magistrates committed to the country, independent and with character." https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/missing-opioid-50-times-stronger-than-heroin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted March 19, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted March 19, 2023 Quote New statement on theft of 20,000 fentanyl vials Posted 18/03/2023 Caja de Seguro Social (CSS) issued a new statement on Saturday, March 18, in relation to the case of the theft of thousands of fentanyl vials that belonged to the institution. The Fund reiterated that after receiving the reports on "abnormal" situations in the facilities of the hospital complex, a formal complaint was filed with the Public Ministry (MP) and that, in addition, a medical audit and another administrative audit were ordered. "Simultaneously, within the institution, administrative measures were ordered in accordance with the Internal Staff Regulations of the institution and in compliance with due process," it was indicated. Among the measures adopted is the rotation of pharmacy staff and the operating room. This, "in order to initiate the respective audits and guarantee the assurance of the evidence," detailed the letter Saturday. In other words, the CSS confirmed that the provisions adopted did not include dismissals from the entity's personnel. The statement was made and is also related to the theft of at least 20,000 vials of fentanyl at the CSS. "We have an inspection and control system that is always active" in the event of any abnormal situation, said the director of the institution, Enrique Lau Cortés, in the statement on Friday, March 17. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/new-statement-on-theft-of-20000-fentanyl-vials Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted March 22, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted March 22, 2023 Quote Social Security opens probe into zombie drug disappearance Posted 21/03/2023 After more than four months since the disappearance of more than 19,000 doses of fentanyl, from the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital Complex, the Social Security Fund (CSS) has finally opened an administrative process. The (CSS) reported on Tuesday, March 21, that it opened an administrative process against an official from the health area, who is allegedly the owner of a briefcase with supplies and medicines, among which is Fentanyl that was found in an inappropriate area. According to the National Directorate of Legal Advice of the institution, the administrative process is carried out respecting due process and the rights of the official. The General Directorate of the CSS ordered in November 2022 the filing of a complaint with the Attorney General's Office for the theft of 10,000 doses of Fentanyl, which is a controlled drug known on the street as the “zombie” drug and the United States DEA has reported a sharp rise in its use. At the same time, the CSS ordered a medical audit to be carried out, the results of which were provided to the Public Ministry, which decided to open a second criminal proceeding. The Social Security Fund has also carried out personnel rotations in the pharmacy area and the operating room, as part of the administrative processes that it is carrying out in the case. These actions take place after, a statement, from the Attorney General's Office, indicating that the first complaint for this process began with the complaint from the head of Security of the Social Security Fund (CSS) Complex, in which he indicated that on November 9, 2022, it was learned that, at the entrance of the Specialized Diagnostic Hospital, specifically at the insured care post, an anesthesiologist left a black plastic case with a transparent lid with medication blisters. The investigations were related to the alleged commission of a crime against the public administration, to the detriment of the CSS. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/social-security-opens-probe-into-zombie-drug-disappearance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted March 22, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted March 22, 2023 Quote The case for firing the Social Security boss Posted 22/03/2023 The alleged "theft" of some 19,000 doses of fentanyl for medical purposes, in the Social Security Fund (CSS), is a situation that generates multiple courses of action for State institutions. In the case of property owned by the State, it is the responsibility of the Public Ministry to investigate the possible commission of crimes such as embezzlement, or the different variants of drug trafficking if fentanyl has been the object of an illegal operation with the purpose of producing or distributing psychotropic substances. At the same time, it is the responsibility of the Comptroller General to initiate an audit for the evident loss of public property. Within the CSS, an administrative investigation to determine the traceability of the "lost" doses. There is another level of administrative responsibility that must be addressed, that of the director of the CSS himself. As has been known, the institution's board of directors was informed about the shortage of fentanyl at least 5 months after the director became aware of the fact, and only because the media had reported this news. Article 28 of Law 51 of 2005, Organic of the CSS, in its numeral "1" establishes that the duties and powers of the board of directors are: "Guide and monitor the proper functioning of the Insurance Fund, and establish the policies for ensure the achievement of its objectives. In turn, numeral "1" of article 41 of Law 51, which lists the powers and duties of the Director General of the institution, says: "Exercise the correct administration of the Institution; ensure the efficient administration of its assets, the disposition of funds and the execution of its budget, as well as ensure the adequate protection and safeguarding of its assets, and the appropriate performance of these”. It is obvious that hiding the fentanyl case from the institution's board of directors for 5 months does not meet these ends. Article 39 of Law 51 establishes that the President may remove the director of the CSS, upon recommendation, through a reasoned and approved resolution, which has the support of at least 8 of the 11 members of the board of directors of the CSS. This is the only mechanism provided for in the Panamanian legislation for the dismissal of the director. Rodrigo Noriega, - LA PRENSA https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/the-case-for-firing-the-social-security-boss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted March 26, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted March 26, 2023 Quote The US will provide support in missing drugs probe - Ambassador Mari Carmen Aponte. Posted 25/03/2023 The United States Ambassador to Panama, Mari Carmen Aponte confirmed to TVN Noticias that her country will help Panama to solve the disappearance of thousands of vials of fentanyl, a scandal that involves the health authorities and that is currently under investigation. The Attorney General, Javier Caraballo, confirmed that there were 19 thousand of vials that disappeared and spoke of some inspections that are carried out in different addresses of the CSS. "At this moment we are carrying out the inspections and the prosecutors are verifying all the regulations and practices that surround the entry of fentanyl into the health center, and what is the flow that it takes until it reaches the hands of a doctor," Caraballo reported. "We are going to reconstruct all the facts and depending on the evidence that is gathered, we will be able to say if there is the participation or not of organized crime in this event," said Caraballo. The director of the Social Security Fund (CSS), Enrique Lau Cortes, flatly denied that he is going to resign, after the scandal caused by the disappearance of thousands of doses of fentanyl from the institution. "I am not going to resign so that we are clear, but obviously at the moment in which a director becomes inconvenient, the one who decides is the President of the Republic. If the President asks me for the position, of course, I will do it" he said. He explained that after the fact was discovered, they went to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the entity that is responsible for carrying out the that "could be criminal." https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/the-us-will-provide-support-in-missing-drugs-probe-ambassador Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted March 29, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted March 29, 2023 Quote Social Security boss denies DEA found fentanyl outside of Panama Enrique Lau Cortés Posted 27/03/2023 The embattled director of the Social Security Fund, Enrique Lau Cortés has denied that the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has found vials of fentanyl outside the country with logos of the health entity. The official reiterated that in November of last year, they received information about unusual behavior by one of the employees who had deposited a briefcase out of sight in the CSS. After examining the briefcase, he was presented with an inventory that found a series of medications, including 12 vials of fentanyl. As it is also used in organized crime and is also trafficked they immediately proceeded to communicate and make the respective complaints to the competent authorities and to carry out internal audits. Regarding the duration of the investigation, he pointed out that he understands well that the media and society seek answers but their timings are different from the judicial ones, so he could not specify when it will end because it is not his competence. According to Lau that he will not respond to sectors that seek "a head" for this fact and will work according to the evidence. He denied that his security chief has ties to people involved in organized crime and he finds it "unfortunate that his reputation is stained." Regarding other investigations for the theft of medicines and supplies from the entity, he confirmed that there are other open investigations that are in the hands of the Prosecutor's Office. "We have investigations that are running in Arraiján, La Chorrera and Panama," he said. However, due to the international connotations of drug trafficking may have, they are focused on the investigation of fentanyl. He indicated that the drug control or management system has evidently reflected that it is vulnerable and there are areas for improvement. They will have to strengthen everything that has to do with the journey of supplies from the moment they are acquired. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/social-security-boss-denies-dea-found-fentanyl-outside-of-panama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted March 31, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted March 31, 2023 Quote The failed attempt to oust the head of Social Security Dr. Enrique Lau Posted 30/03/2023 The board of directors of the Social Security Fund (CSS) has 11 members, two of whom – who are representatives of the private sector – unsuccessfully asked to remove the current director of the institution, who openly insulted them when he refused to inform them about the theft of thousands of vials of fentanyl, a very serious fact that the board of directors learned about through the media, five months – at least – after the official learned of the fact. On the board of directors are the ministers of Health and of Economy and Finance, a representative of health professionals and technicians, four of the workers -one of the public employees and three of the private company-, one of the pensioners and retirees –all appointed by the Executive– and three of the employers (chosen by the National Council of Private Enterprise). Except for those who requested the separation of the director, we ask ourselves, with whom is the fidelity of the rest of the board of directors? It is evident that it is not with the insured or retirees or employees. His attitude only causes this director to do what he really wants, regardless of the consequences or the opinion of the board of directors. This inadmissible submission is an affront to those who they supposedly represent in that collegiate body. – LA PRENSA, Mar. 30. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/the-failed-attempt-to-oust-the-head-of-social-security Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted May 29, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted May 29, 2023 Quote Five arrested in fentanyl investigation 19,000 vials went missing from the Social Secirity (CSS). Posted 28/05/2023 Five people who had in their possession a package of vials whose content is allegedly the drug Fentanyl, which was "lost" from the Social Security Fund (CSS), were apprehended on Saturday, May 27, by judicial authorities. The Public Ministry reported that the Drug Prosecutor's Office together with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, with the support of members of the National Police, carried out a raid in Pueblo Nuevo. Fentanyl is a drug 50 times more powerful than heroin and has unleashed a public health crisis in the United States due to the increase in deaths related to its illegal use. There they found vials as well as marijuana and chemical precursors. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into the loss of 19,000 vials of fentanyl in November 2022. However, to date the authorities had not been able to recover the drug, nor have charges been filed for its disappearance. On March 16, he carried out an ocular inspection of the CSS Pharmacy department in search of evidence of the loss of fentanyl. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/five-arrested-in-fentanyl-investigation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted July 25, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted July 25, 2023 Quote 50 medical staff investigated for missing opiod 19,000 vials went missing Posted 25/07/2023 The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating the loss of 19,000 thousand vials of fentanyl in the Social Security Fund (CSS), ordered an audit for a period of one year to verify how the administration and custody of this synthetic opioid were handled by the institution led by Enrique Lau Cortés. After several months, since the loss of the medication was revealed in November 2022, some members of the institution's board of directors began to demand an account of what had happened, but it was not until last week that the administrative authorities delivered the results of the investigations that are carried out internally. Although the investigations continue, one of the possible conclusions of the administrative authorship would be that it is not an isolated movement of a few officials trying to illegally profit from the possession of the doses Rather, it would be a kind of institutional network, since at least 50 officials would be involved, including administrative and medical personnel, according to what was verbally reported to the management, but which was not part of the report delivered reports La Prensa. According to what was communicated by officials of the Legal Department, they would not be including the details of the investigation in the report delivered to the board of directors so as not to hinder the process. The names of those linked, positions, or operational mode, nor the current situation of the officials, in case they have been temporarily separated from their functions, were not revealed. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/50-medical-staff-investigated-for-missing-opiod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted February 7 Author Moderators Share Posted February 7 Quote Terrible controls caused massive loss of fentanyl Posted 05/02/2024 There are “terrible controls” in the administration of medicines in the Social Security Fund (CSS), which led to the loss of thousands of doses of fentanyl a highly dangerous and addictive drug said Attorney General Javier Caraballo on Monday, February 5. The inconsistencies and deficiencies in the audits of the CSS) specifically in the case of the loss of fentanyl, have led to a new investigation by the Attorney General's Office, which has so far been able to validate that in the entity there are terrible administrative controls. Caraballo announced that his office is leading two investigations related to the disappearance of the fentanyl doses. Caraballo answered several questions that deputies of the Credentials Commission of the National Assembly asked him in a summons to consider his ratification of the post. The official said that although these are ongoing investigations, it has become clear to them that the case is based on an “extremely flawed” audit. He spoke of inconsistencies between what the CSS says, those that were lost, and the prescriptions that are managed in the system. “In many cases, doctors withdrew fentanyl and no prescriptions were requested. There are other cases in which doctors asked for prescriptions and did not use them.” He said the Attorney General's Office has had to re-audit the entire process. “That has not been fast. We consider that in the coming months, we will be able to respond to the community,” said Caraballo. Last year, the loss of 19 thousand vials of fentanyl was reported at the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital Complex of the CSS. Internal investigations by the CSS indicated that numerous requests were made for fentanyl vials prescribed for the same patient, as well as the lack of control of the keys where the controlled medications were kept, among others. No problem in Panama “What we can say is that Panama does not have a fentanyl problem,” said Caraballo, who mentioned the epidemic in the United States as a reference, in areas where about five deaths are reported daily due to addiction to the drug, while in Panama has not reported any deaths. “If that happened in Panama, it would be noticeable in the streets. And there are no reports of consumption or deaths,” he reiterated. Authorities also have not been able to determine whether the doses that disappeared were sent to the United States market or elsewhere. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/terrible-controls-caused-massive-loss-of-fentanyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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