The cost of the desolate Megapharmacy is 17 thousand 635 mdp; it should be audited, analysts say

The cost of the abandoned Megafarmacia has risen to 17,635 million pesos, according to data from the Ministry of Finance and Credit Public (SHCP). This represents an increase of 6,835 million pesos compared to the figure calculated in 2024. The updated estimate includes investment in the land and warehouses in Huehuetoca, State of Mexico, plus the costs associated with setup and operation over the projected three-decade lifespan of the facility. Despite the nearly 7 billion peso allocation for maintenance, the Megafarmacia faces a structural issue in its southern access since January of this year. Instead of repairing the road, Birmex blocked it with rubble, a situation documented by EL UNIVERSAL recently. The total cost for the warehouse and initial operations has also increased. On December 29, when the facility was inaugurated, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador claimed the cost was 2,700 million pesos. However, a review conducted by EL UNIVERSAL in 2024 revealed the cost had risen to 3,614 million 558 thousand 125 pesos. In 2026, the figure was further adjusted to 3,948 million 638 thousand 498 pesos, meaning the government spent an additional 1,248 million 638 thousand 498 pesos beyond what the former president announced at the time of inauguration. Currently, the Megafarmacia does not function as the comprehensive pharmacy envisioned by López Obrador, where all medicines would be available for patient requests. Instead, it serves primarily as a distribution center for Birmex, supplying pharmaceuticals to the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), the Institute of Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE), and the IMSS-Bienestar program. This aligns with its role as a picking center, as outlined in the socioeconomic evaluation of the investment project from 2023. Eduardo Bohórquez, director of Transparency Mexico, noted that the project initiated by former President López Obrador was not the optimal solution among several alternatives available to address the medication shortages that worsened during his administration. He emphasized that the concept of a megapharmacy did not appear among the top public policy options. Storing and concentrating medicine inventory in one geographic location contradicts modern logistics practices learned over the past three decades. Bohorquez pointed out that other viable options were not considered by the previous federal administration. One such alternative included leveraging the defunct Economic Competition Commission. He suggested that there were multiple approaches to tackle the challenge of distributing medications effectively. These could involve maximizing the potential of existing regulatory bodies, consulting with commodity distribution chains on strategies for locating distribution centers, or exploring alternative distribution methods for specific products or medications. He concluded that the warehouse located in Huehuetoca is not the ideal solution for addressing the nation's healthcare supply chain challenges. The current configuration reflects a shift away from the ambitious vision initially presented, highlighting the evolving nature of the project’s purpose and functionality.