Panama Health Crisis Deaths Rocket
Panama Justice is investigating 363 denouncements of presumed poisoned medication, and there are 52 deaths admitted.

Public Prosecutor Dimas Guevara said the families of 302 deceased people have complained, so the Forensics Medicine Institute will exhume each body to establish the true cause of death.

Guevara also is investigating several health officials after Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez accepted a lawsuit.

Panama's Penal Code says anyone charged with the pollution of food or medication with toxic substance may get two to five years in prison.

The probe involves Health Minister Camilo Alleyne, Social Security (CSS) Director Rene Luciani and up to ten CSS board members.

The crisis began October 2, 2006 when the authorities issued a warning over deaths from unknown causes, later blamed on diethylene glycol found in four medications produced by the CSS.