Panamanian President
Replaces 5 Ministers
Amid Tainted Medicine
Scandal
Panama's president
replaced Panama's health
minister and four other
Cabinet members in the
wake of a scandal over
deadly medicine made at
a government laboratory.
President Martin
Torrijos named new
ministers of health,
labor, education, the
interior and the
presidency, the
president's office
announced Thursday.
The moves came after
months of pressure to
fire officials after at
least 94 people were
poisoned by tainted
medication.
The construction workers
union, which has about
100,000 members, also
pushed Torrijos to get
rid of Labor Minister
Reynaldo Rivera,
alleging several of
their fellow workers
died after his office
failed to enforce
construction safety
measures.
Health Minister Rosario
Turner is replacing
Camilo Alleyne. Edwin
Salamin is the new labor
minister.
The other 11 ministers —
including actor and
Grammy-winning salsa
singer Ruben Blades, who
is in charge of tourism
— will remain in office,
the president's office
said. |
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