The Chihuahua State Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office has judicialized a case for the crime of aggravated embezzlement, which deeply harms society: the improper use of oncology medications. These supplies represent not only a high economic cost but also a chance at life for cancer patients, especially children.
This stems from a complaint filed by the State Audit Office regarding events that occurred on September 10, 2021, within the Chihuahua Institute of Health. It is alleged that essential medications such as Pegfilgrastim and Trastuzumab, which are intended to strengthen the defenses of those undergoing chemotherapy and to combat aggressive forms of cancer, were diverted from their legitimate purpose due to the misconduct of the accused, identified by the initials A.V.Ch.
To bring this matter before the judge, an arrest warrant, granted by the competent judicial authority, was executed on the night of Monday, April 6 of the current year. The execution was carried out with strict adherence to the law and with full respect for human rights and due process.
According to the investigations, the accused, identified as A.V.Ch., who served as State Coordinator of Warehouses and Pharmacies at the Chihuahua Institute of Health, allegedly misappropriated high-cost oncology medications, specifically Pegfilgrastim and Trastuzumab, with an individual value of 107,870.14 pesos.
It was also determined that in collusion with other public officials from the Health Institution, they created medical prescriptions without the patient's need, thereby obtaining an improper economic benefit.
These cancer medications are not ordinary. Trastuzumab, for its part, is a specialized treatment that fights aggressive cancer cells and can mean a real chance of survival for those facing the disease, especially in childhood.
The investigation file from the FACH states that part of the accused's deviant conduct materialized through the prescription and supply of these drugs without a valid medical justification, with inadequate indications and outside the established times for their legal exchange.
Pegfilgrastim allows patients undergoing chemotherapy to recover their defenses and avoid infections that can put their lives at risk. Improperly disposing of them implies not only a violation of the law but also a direct impact on those who need them most.
With these actions, the Chihuahua State Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office reiterates its firm commitment to act decisively in the investigation to its final consequences, and in the persecution of corruption crimes committed by public officials, whose acts lacerate the people's trust, and in this case, the lives of the people of Chihuahua.
