Government will participate in the distribution of medicines

The federal government announced this Tuesday that it will participate in the distribution of medications to hospitals and health centers via 134 trucks, in coordination with the state governments where the IMSS Bienestar operates.

At the press conference held at the National Palace, Eduardo Clark, Undersecretary of Integration and Development at the Ministry of Health, explained that the program they've dubbed "Health Routes" will be implemented starting next month "to deliver medications and health supplies to each clinic, both the closest and the most distant."

This logistical process will involve 96 3.5-ton trucks, 38 1.5-ton trucks, 35 sanitary boxes, and 27 refrigerated boxes, along with personnel, vehicles, and warehouses from the health jurisdictions of the federal entities.

Clark explained that the total annual investment in this program is just over 120 million pesos, including vehicles leased on loan to state governments, gasoline, tolls, travel expenses, and everything needed to carry out the trips. "The most important thing is that the staff is already trained, because they are part of the health jurisdictions that, for 50 years, have known the territory, traveled through it every day, handled public health issues, and are well-versed in how to reach each of the country's health units," he said.

He also explained that local knowledge of security issues is used, along with the territorial knowledge of state health departments, which perform this work regularly and have historically done so, for example, for vaccines.

The official also explained that the deliverymedicamentos.salud.gob.mx platform will be updated weekly so that any user can check whether medical supplies have arrived in their state or the status of the delivery process regarding consolidated purchases, where the Biological and Reagent Laboratory of Mexico (Birmex) plays an important role in last-mile delivery.

"Birmex has strengthened its national distribution capacity and is primarily responsible for shipping medications, either from the Megafarmacia in Huehuetoca or state warehouses in the capitals or large cities of each state, to hospitals and urban health centers," he said.

In turn, Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, said that "it's a distribution system, along with... the Mexican entities that are part of the IMSS Bienestar (Mexican Social Security Institute). We're helping us; and in August, we'll launch all the trucks, vans, minivans, everything necessary, boats, to bring all the necessary medications to all the islands."

He also confirmed that 96% of all medications and medical supplies have already been purchased for these deliveries through a tender process, invitations to manufacturers, primarily producers, and reverse auctions.