Maritza Flores was beside herself. “The doctor said that if I don’t pay $80 for a catheter and a pint of blood, my daughter will die.” These are supplies that Honduran public hospitals are required by law to provide for the poorest of the poor, who cannot pay for private clinics. However, according to ASJ (formerly know as AJS) investigators, Flores’ plight is shared by millions of Hondurans who depend on the public hospital system in Honduras for health care services and free medication. Beginning in 2012, ASJ began to look into corruption in the public medication storehouses. What they found was shocking.
Medication Storehouse Administrator Of 26 Years On Administrative Leave
April 14, 2014
Honduran medication storehouses are a hotbed of corruption and incompetence that leave vulnerable patients, like Maritza Flores’ daughter, without lifesaving treatment.
ASJ investigators proved that medications are very poorly inventoried, leaving the door open for storehouse staff to steal medications. In just one case, $50,000 worth of medication was distributed without doing any inventory. Some cases of outright theft have also been recorded. In one well-documented case, 26,000 capsules of insulin disappeared from the storehouse. Finally, medication that is inventoried is stored in poor conditions, like in refrigerators next to employee’s food, and is left to expire.
The ASJ investigation created waves in the Honduran government. In March, the President placed the storehouse administrator, a very powerful political figure who had been in the position since 1987 on administrative leave, and had the military guard the storehouses so that employees could not tamper with evidence. ASJ employees are currently acting as observers in a thorough inventory of the warehouses, and in the overhaul of the medication storage system.
According to an ASJ lawyer working on the investigation, “What the government has done already is a huge accomplishment, considering how long these problems have been going one, but we’re hoping for more.”
Earlier this month, The Banner published a story written by Our Shared Ministr y by Karina Guevara and Elmer Salinas . The authors showcase the work that ASJ-Honduras is doing to help and support students in Honduras. Karina and Elmer tell the story of Genesis Garcia, an 8-year-old, whose family struggles to find consistent jobs. "Genesis Garcia Baquedano is 8 years old and lives with her older brother, Anderson, and their parents in Honduras. Her parents work hard to support their family. Genesis’s father is a painter who struggles to find consistent work, and her mother is a street vendor who spends long hours away from home." According to Karina and Elmer, although Genesis is a good student, she was struggling with reading, writing, and math. This is where the ASJ-Hondurans' program, Strong Communities , comes to be a blessing. "Through God’s grace, Genesis and her family were able to join the Strong Communities program facilitated by World Renew’s local partner, Association for a More Just Society (ASJ, because the Spanish translation is Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa). Through the program, Genesis attended academic support sessions, where she impressed her tutors with her perseverance and enthusiasm. Now, Genesis’s teachers praise the program for the significant progress Genesis has been making at school." We are blessed to be able to help kids like Genesis and her family to be able to achieve their dreams and goals. You can read the full story HERE and learn more about the ASJ-Honduras Strong communities program HERE
Highlights from our 25th Anniversary Celebration in Grand Rapids, MI
MY EMPTY VILLAGE / HOW IMMIGRATION AFFECTS A COMMUNITY (by Sara Pineda)
Young Hondurans have stepped up for democracy (by Blanca Stephanie Elvir)
Reflecting on 25 years of seeking justice together (by Jo Ann Van Engen)
From the Executive Director
What does paused international aid mean for ASJ?
Something Worth Waiting For
Will you walk with us for a more just society?
The beauty of doing justice in community
