In the midst of the severe crisis at the Institute of Medical Assistance Work (IOMA), irregularities were detected in the procurement awards for medical devices for members with disabilities.
The situation occurs alongside protests, debts, and claims for lack of services, due to the disastrous management of the Government of Axel Kicillof and low investment in health.
According to information gathered by the media TN, one of the operations under investigation involves the purchase of a motorized wheelchair for an amount close to $39 million, when that same model can be found on the market at significantly lower prices.
Axel Kicillof
The purchase order No. 300334 was signed on March 19, 2026, by the Kirchnerist president of IOMA, Homero Giles, and included the acquisition of a Merits brand wheelchair, model P210, through the orthopedic company Tor from La Plata, which presented a budget of $39,190,592.
According to the data collected, the same equipment can be obtained in the private market for around $10,000,000. Additionally, the operation included specialized accessories, such as a belt, containment strap, cushion, modular postural unit, and acrylic table, which added another $10 million, raising the total awarded amount to $48,998,592, a value similar to that of a new car.
The operation also raises questions regarding the intermediary circuit. According to what could be reconstructed, the orthopedic company Tor was not the direct importer of the product, but rather the equipment had been previously purchased by the Buenos Aires firm Escalada, which then sold it to the La Plata company before its final billing to IOMA.
Another of the observed awards involves the purchase of a standing frame system for a girl from Greater La Plata, necessary for her daily development and school assistance.
In this case, the purchase order No. 301416 authorized a payment of $12,450,000 to the orthopedic company Crux for a piece of equipment from the national brand Standlife, whose factory value would be below $5,000,000.
Wheelchairs worth the price of a car
The company Crux, which recently became a supplier for IOMA, also participated in other significant operations. Among them, the provision of a pedal wheelchair from the brand Ki Mobility, quoted at $11,900,000, which with accessories reached a total of $17,680,000.
Suspicions of overpricing emerge at a particularly critical moment for IOMA. The health insurance is practically bankrupt due to the Kicillof administration, facing difficulties in providing treatments and medications, closure of care centers for people with disabilities, and the exit of professionals from the networks due to accumulated debts.
In various parts of the province, members are staging recurring protests to demand supplies and appointments, even staying overnight at the agency's facilities. Districts like La Plata and Mar del Plata are among the most affected by the situation.
IOMA is the second largest health insurance in the country after PAMI and has more than two million mandatory members, including teachers, police officers, judicial workers, state employees, and retirees.
In this scenario, the complaints about irregularities in multimillion-dollar purchases deepen the criticisms regarding the Kirchnerist administration of resources amid a crisis that directly impacts the care of its beneficiaries.
