The Cure Is Worse Than the Disease: Multiple Irregularities in the National Administration of Laboratories
<p style="line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">Although it is one of the main centers of microbiology research, it was found that the production of BCG no longer has external quality controls. The doses of Hemorrhagic Fever made in Argentina fail to cover the population at risk. Lack of staff and unused equipment complete the list of problems in the various institutes that make up the ANLIS.</span></p> <div> </div>
The General Audit Office (AGN, for its acronym in Spanish) prepared a report on the management of the program "Prevention, control and investigation of health conditions" being conducted by the National Administration of Laboratories and Health Institutes (ANLIS) "Dr. Carlos Malbrán." It reveals, for example, "the production of BCG will not perform external quality controls" although the vaccines are under the purview of the Watchdog.
It is also noted an "overlap and intersect the competencies of the various institutes and centers" and the case of treatment of infectious diseases of three institutes that perform diagnosis, monitoring and research on tuberculosis and influenza appointment.
ANLIS is one of the leading research centers of microbiology. Their functions range from "the study and implementation and promotion of actions to diagnosis, monitoring and preventing disease." It counts with 11 dependent operating units, among which there are institutes and centers. Coordination is being carried out by the central government formed by a direction of Management and another directorate Scientific Technique.
The National Institute of Human Viral Diseases (INEVH) where, although it deals with every emerging viral disease in general, it puts special emphasis on vector-borne and rodent.
Currently, production is running the Candid #1 vaccine Hemorrhagic Fever Argentina. However, the AGN found that "it does not meet the real needs of immunization taking into account the population at risk."
The provinces with the risk of disease are Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Cordoba and La Pampa, with an estimated population of 5 million people. However, the production of the vaccine, from 2010 to June 2013, was only of 733,930 doses. This observation becomes more serious if one considers that "the principal measure for preventing this fever is vaccination."
The report, which evaluates the management of 2012 to the first half of 2013, states that the National Institute of Parasitology, where blood samples for the detection of Chagas are taken, "are the same patients who carry in their hands test tube to extract and must wait in the waiting room until their turn. All of this increases the "risk of error or contamination."
In addition, the computer system "has access and security levels to ensure that the data are not altered." Moreover, at the National Institute of Biological Production (INPB) the AGN observed that although in 2013 they had acquired a new immunotherapeutic packaging machine "to May 2014 it had not yet been used due to the lack of conditions of the room where it is housed." This situation exposes an "inadequate planning by the INPB."
The Diagnostic and Research Center in ENDEMO-epidemis and the Laboratory Network Argentina have the same problem: the lack of human resources.
The first, which is responsible for every action of vector-borne diseases at the time of the audit had 10 people, of whom only one was a researcher, four met operational functions, and others were active in many other areas of support, one was in charge of the management of the Center.