The Independent Commission of Investigation on the COVID-19 Pandemic presented its final report this Tuesday.
The document highlights three keys to understanding the response to the pandemic by the Mexican government.
1) The permanent underestimation of the virus.
2) The centralization and personalization of decisions.
3) The government’s “austerity” policy, which actually left the health system without resources.
The commission points out in its report that very serious problems plagued the health system before the pandemic, due to lack of investment and debilitating reforms. A high prevalence of chronic diseases in the population and deep inequalities made Mexico vulnerable to the crisis.
Another critical factor that explains such serious results is the defective governance of the crisis. The report shows that almost 4 out of every 10 excess deaths during the pandemic occurred due to failures in government management. The commission considers this as devastating and unconcealable damage.
The poorest Mexicans suffered disproportionately from the pandemic. The research showed that the higher the percentage of low-income population in a municipality or mayor’s office, the higher the percentage of excess deaths. The policy of performing few diagnostic tests not only encouraged the permanent underestimation of the disease among Mexicans, but also harmed the most unprotected population, which did not have extraordinary economic support, the report details.
Mexico City became the deadliest area during the second wave of the pandemic, in turn the deadliest. From December 2020 to January 2021, the City reported 24% of excess deaths, although it only had 7.3% of the population.
“This occurred after the use of incorrect or false data to calculate the risk traffic light and the postponement of the appropriate health measures,” denounced the commission.
According to the report, the “stay at home” directive had a perverse effect. A large number of patients arrived at the hospital very late, as they understood that care had to be provided at home. The confinement at home, greatly diminished medical care at the first level, schools closed for a long time, and the lack of financial support to support the lack of income turned homes and dwellings into the decisive space where Mexicans resisted the multiple effects of the pandemic.
“Households replaced and subsidized the state. 60% of the patients went to private clinics and pharmacies, a poorly regulated territory, where they frequently received poor recommendations or over-medication,” the document states.
In hospitals, guidelines for patient care were unclear and insufficient, staff insufficient, and protective equipment late and of poor quality. 95% of those who died died alone and 4,843 health professionals died trying to save the life of another, more than in any other country.
In 2020 and 2021, 38 out of every 100 deaths in Mexico were people under the age of 60, compared to 20 out of every 100 in the world. The high mortality among young adults left more than 215,000 girls and boys orphaned.
Therefore, the commission makes the following recommendations to authorities, decision makers, and society in general:
● The rehabilitation of collegiate bodies specialized in health.
● The reconstruction of the technical and administrative capacities of the state in vaccination, purchase of supplies and medicines, and health regulation.
● The implementation of pre-established risk and crisis communication protocols.
● A national plan to increase investment in health.
● A comprehensive plan to protect vulnerable sectors among whom exclusion in health matters has deepened.
In the future, the commission advocates a holistic approach, encompassing enhanced epidemiological surveillance, a strong health infrastructure, and a strong commitment to truthful communication and evidence-based governance.