Chile: Health Minister denounces supplier collusion

Chilea’s Minister of Health, Jaime Mañalich, has filed a complaint before the National Economic Prosecutor’s Office, (FNE) asking for an investigation into an alleged conspiracy involving the Association of Health Industry Providers (APIS), accusing them of not delivering necessary supplies and placing the Public healthcare sector at risk.

Mañalich accused the APIS of bickering with the public sector, threatening the non-delivery of supplies because of outstanding debts held by the State. The hospital debt already exceeds 11,000 million pesos (approximately US$15million), so the providers had noticed problems to supply the entire network.

“That a group of suppliers can show up, which concentrates practically all the inputs of the health sector, and that utters a threat… using other agents to increase their leverage, is something that we will not tolerate for a second,” said the Minister of Health.

In response, the APIS Executive Director, Eduardo del Solar, accused the minister of trying to deflect the real problem, which is the lack of budget. “What the minister has done is a crime, because he has accused us of something we have never said. We have never talked about not delivering. What we have realized is how critical the situation has been, and warned the ministry that the suppliers are going to start to go under… ”
Full Content: Bio Bio Chile

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