Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BUENOSAIRES752
2009-06-29 20:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:
ARGENTINE HEALTH MINISTER RESIGNS JOB MID-PANDEMIC
how-toVZCZCXYZ0014 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHBU #0752 1802047 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 292047Z JUN 09 FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3957 INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000752
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/IHB - P. MURPHY AND D. WILUSZ
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SOCI PGOV PREL AMED ELAB AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE HEALTH MINISTER RESIGNS JOB MID-PANDEMIC
REF: BUENOS AIRES 0742
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000752
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/IHB - P. MURPHY AND D. WILUSZ
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SOCI PGOV PREL AMED ELAB AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE HEALTH MINISTER RESIGNS JOB MID-PANDEMIC
REF: BUENOS AIRES 0742
1. (SBU) Summary: Argentine Minister of Health Graciela Ocana has
resigned the day after the GOA lost big in mid-term legislative
elections. Ocana reportedly resigned due to her belief that she was
not getting the support she needed to combat an ongoing dengue
crisis that has been partly eclipsed by the recent outbreak of H1N1
influenza. She had also indicated to confidantes that she was
exhausted from doing battle with government-allied labor leader Hugo
Moyano over health care funds. Her appointed replacement will take
office on July 1. End summary.
2. (SBU) Minister Ocana, once the darling of President Cristina
Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) for her efforts to root out corruption
and inefficiency in the Ministry of Health, began to encounter
problems in 2008 after the resignation in July of Cabinet Chief
Alberto Fernandez, her mentor in the administration. The next blow
came with a triple murder related to ephedrine that was traced to a
political fundraiser and fund manager in her Ministry. Despite
pressure from government allies, she managed to have the individual
fired. It was the last support she received from government. Ocana
was said to heavily rely on her direct relationship with President
Fernandez de Kirchner to stay in her job. But she was also waging a
war for millions of pesos in subsidies for union-run health schemes
against one of the government's leading allies, Hugo Moyano, the
head of the General Labor Confederation (CGT),Argentina's largest
union umbrella group.
3. (SBU) Ocana was widely criticized during this past austral
summer's dengue epidemic. Despite trying to work with Chaco
province, a center of the outbreak, the Governor and his wife (the
Provincial Minister of Health) refused to acknowledge the severity
of the epidemic, thus allowing the disease to spread. (Note: One of
the nation's top columnists yesterday reported that three defogging
machines sent to Chaco to kill dengue larvae are being used instead
to spray cotton fields belonging to political supporters.)
4. (SBU) Ocana's lack of support was painfully evident last week
when, in light of a significant increase in influenza cases and
deaths, her request for a meeting of the H1N1 Crisis Committee to
discuss prevention measures was postponed by higher-ups. She also
faced strong opposition from the Minister of Health of the Province
of Buenos Aires, Dr. Claudio Zin, who until recently was considered
the front-runner to be her replacement. Ocana's recommendation to
declare a sanitary emergency that would allow health authorities to
provide additional measures without extensive bureaucratic delays
and to shut down cinemas and public gathering spaces found no
support. She was criticized for her lack of medical and public
health credentials both within the government and by medical and
health associations. Her detractors used her lack of credentials to
blame her for the "technical problems" that hampered the GOA
response to both the dengue and H1N1 epidemics. Her struggle with
the CGT's Moyano boosted her credentials as an anti-corruption
crusader, but did not suffice to keep her in office.
5. (U) The appointment of Dr. Juan Luis Manzur, current Lieutenant
Governor of the northwestern province of Tucuman, as her replacement
was announced June 29 by Cabinet Chief Sergio Massa. Massa said
Manzur would take office on July 1. Manzur is a surgeon with a
Master's degree in Public Health Administration, and has previously
served as the Vice-Minister of Health for the province of San Luis,
and the Secretary of Health of La Matanza (population 1.2 million,
in the province of Buenos Aires),one of the largest public health
organizations in the country.
6. (U) The H1N1 Crisis Committee is expected to meet June 29 to
evaluate whether a declaration of a sanitary emergency is indicated.
Chief of Cabinet Sergio Massa is scheduled to give a press
conference after the meeting to provide an update.
Kelly
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/IHB - P. MURPHY AND D. WILUSZ
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SOCI PGOV PREL AMED ELAB AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE HEALTH MINISTER RESIGNS JOB MID-PANDEMIC
REF: BUENOS AIRES 0742
1. (SBU) Summary: Argentine Minister of Health Graciela Ocana has
resigned the day after the GOA lost big in mid-term legislative
elections. Ocana reportedly resigned due to her belief that she was
not getting the support she needed to combat an ongoing dengue
crisis that has been partly eclipsed by the recent outbreak of H1N1
influenza. She had also indicated to confidantes that she was
exhausted from doing battle with government-allied labor leader Hugo
Moyano over health care funds. Her appointed replacement will take
office on July 1. End summary.
2. (SBU) Minister Ocana, once the darling of President Cristina
Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) for her efforts to root out corruption
and inefficiency in the Ministry of Health, began to encounter
problems in 2008 after the resignation in July of Cabinet Chief
Alberto Fernandez, her mentor in the administration. The next blow
came with a triple murder related to ephedrine that was traced to a
political fundraiser and fund manager in her Ministry. Despite
pressure from government allies, she managed to have the individual
fired. It was the last support she received from government. Ocana
was said to heavily rely on her direct relationship with President
Fernandez de Kirchner to stay in her job. But she was also waging a
war for millions of pesos in subsidies for union-run health schemes
against one of the government's leading allies, Hugo Moyano, the
head of the General Labor Confederation (CGT),Argentina's largest
union umbrella group.
3. (SBU) Ocana was widely criticized during this past austral
summer's dengue epidemic. Despite trying to work with Chaco
province, a center of the outbreak, the Governor and his wife (the
Provincial Minister of Health) refused to acknowledge the severity
of the epidemic, thus allowing the disease to spread. (Note: One of
the nation's top columnists yesterday reported that three defogging
machines sent to Chaco to kill dengue larvae are being used instead
to spray cotton fields belonging to political supporters.)
4. (SBU) Ocana's lack of support was painfully evident last week
when, in light of a significant increase in influenza cases and
deaths, her request for a meeting of the H1N1 Crisis Committee to
discuss prevention measures was postponed by higher-ups. She also
faced strong opposition from the Minister of Health of the Province
of Buenos Aires, Dr. Claudio Zin, who until recently was considered
the front-runner to be her replacement. Ocana's recommendation to
declare a sanitary emergency that would allow health authorities to
provide additional measures without extensive bureaucratic delays
and to shut down cinemas and public gathering spaces found no
support. She was criticized for her lack of medical and public
health credentials both within the government and by medical and
health associations. Her detractors used her lack of credentials to
blame her for the "technical problems" that hampered the GOA
response to both the dengue and H1N1 epidemics. Her struggle with
the CGT's Moyano boosted her credentials as an anti-corruption
crusader, but did not suffice to keep her in office.
5. (U) The appointment of Dr. Juan Luis Manzur, current Lieutenant
Governor of the northwestern province of Tucuman, as her replacement
was announced June 29 by Cabinet Chief Sergio Massa. Massa said
Manzur would take office on July 1. Manzur is a surgeon with a
Master's degree in Public Health Administration, and has previously
served as the Vice-Minister of Health for the province of San Luis,
and the Secretary of Health of La Matanza (population 1.2 million,
in the province of Buenos Aires),one of the largest public health
organizations in the country.
6. (U) The H1N1 Crisis Committee is expected to meet June 29 to
evaluate whether a declaration of a sanitary emergency is indicated.
Chief of Cabinet Sergio Massa is scheduled to give a press
conference after the meeting to provide an update.
Kelly