President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo stated that the case of Marilyn Cote, the lawyer who posed as a psychiatrist in Puebla, must be addressed from both an administrative and criminal perspective. According to Sheinbaum, this is a case of fraud that involves health issues, which makes it even more serious. In her words, "A person cannot offer health services, which is a delicate matter, when they do not have the credentials for it."
In this context, the Puebla Attorney General's Office has given Marilyn Cote an ultimatum. Araceli Córdoba Soria, Secretary of Health of Puebla, has declared that Cote has until this week to present to the authorities the alleged degrees that would certify her as a psychiatrist. Otherwise, administrative sanctions could be taken, fines imposed, or even her arrest for 36 hours could be pursued.
As an additional measure, the closure of the Neuropsychology Clinic: Marilyn Cote, located in the Angelópolis Medical Towers, was carried out, as reported by the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris). In the words of the official, "In this case, there were controlled medications, imagine that."
During a session of "La Mañanera del Pueblo," Claudia Sheinbaum also addressed the issue, emphasizing that it is a matter of fraud that also has criminal implications. When asked if her government plans to modify the management of the National Registry of Professionals —currently the responsibility of the Secretary of Public Education (SEP)— to prevent situations like Marilyn Cote's, Sheinbaum expressed the possibility of working with the Secretary of Health to ensure that the population can verify if health services are provided by properly trained and certified professionals.
