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A group of doctors working for Mexico City’s Health Ministry altered over 1,800 death certificates that belonged to patients who died of COVID-19. This turned into a 10% under-reporting of coronavirus-related deaths in the capital. However, the same group of doctors modified several death certificates from victims who died during the 2017 earthquake that struck the city. Now, the local Attorney General’s Office is investigating a criminal network formed by funeral homes, government officials, and clandestine morticians.
According to the investigation ordered by Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, everything indicates that doctors sold the altered death certificates to families who were willing to pay between MXN 3,000 and MXN 5,000. These families then used the certificates to obtain financial aid from the local government or to collect money from insurances.
Through this. methods, the doctors issued at least 100 death certificates in Tlalpan, Cuauhtémoc, Xochimilco, and Coyoacán.
The investigation also indicates that the doctors collaborated with funeral homes . Moreover, Dr. Irwing Baruxh, one of the doctors involved in the scheme, owns a funeral home located in Mexico City and where the altered death certificates were allegedly issued in 2017.
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Authorities are currently investigating this company after it issued 120 death certificates in April and 53 in May, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, eight out of the 12 doctors involved in the scheme are involved with the funeral homes.
Mexico City authorities reopened the investigation into the 2017 altering scheme since it might be linked to the COVID-19 scheme.
Authorities are also investigating the doctors involved in both cases for their involvement in other crimes.
Modus operandi
The funeral homes involved in the criminal network contacted both the doctors and the families of those who died to obtain general information about the deceased.
With this information, the funeral homes filled the death certificates and wrote down a random cause of death. According to doctors, they rarely went to the funeral homes to examine the bodies.
Furthermore, the investigation showed that the doctors issued death certificates by using incoherent information. For example, they registered deaths at the same time but in different boroughs, which made the irregularities even more clear.
Moreover, these doctors established illnesses and diagnoses that would never result in death as the main cause of death.
Death certificates
On June 8, EL UNIVERSAL reported that Mexico City authorities were investigating a criminal network formed by healthcare workers from public hospitals in the capital and the State of Mexico; workers from the forensic medical service; doctors and nurses working in the private sector, and legal and clandestine funeral homes. According to reports, the criminal group issued altered death certificates.
According to local authorities, death certificates were stolen from their offices and then used and modified to make it seem like COVID-19 patients died of other illnesses such as respiratory failure, atypical pneumonia, viral pneumonia, and not from the novel coronavirus. The actions were described as a “risk to society” and modified the official number of COVID-19 contagions and coronavirus-related deaths in the city.
Authorities identified at least 10 Mexico City doctors involved in the criminal scheme. Five of them were called to testify but none of them have been arrested and charged with a crime.
Sources close to the investigation explain that in case a healthcare worker or government official is found guilty, they wouldn’t be sent to jail and would simply lose their job and might be banned from working from the government.
In the case of the irregular funeral homes and doctors working in private practice, they could face tougher punishment.
Authorities have carried out inspections in 10 clandestine funeral homes in Mexico City.
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