
Doctors, nurses, and administrative personnel at the main public hospital in Juchitán, Oaxaca, are on strike, El Universal reports, protesting deteriorating infrastructure and a lack of medical supplies.
The hospital was built in 2018 to replace the previous structure, which was severely damaged in the 2017 earthquake.
The striking workers complain that the hospital’s elevators, which are needed to move patients, are out of order. They’re asking for ramps to be constructed to allow them to wheel patients from floor to floor. They’re also demanding that officials repair four ambulances which have broken down, and also that the hospital restock urgently needed medical supplies, which have run critically low.
During the strike, only the emergency room continues to operate — surgeries, consultations, and laboratory work have all been suspended.
El Universal reports that unions plan to expand the strike to other towns and cities in Oaxaca if their demands are not met.
Speaking of hospitals, a number of news outlets noted that the Oaxaca Regional High-Specialty Hospital, located in San Bartolo Coyotepec, is now under new management, sort of… The hospital was one of six high-specialty hospitals across the country that — by presidential decree — went from being part of the federal secretariat of health last week to now being part of IMSS/Bienestar, the federal Social Security agency. The hospital, which treats patients facing very serious illnesses like cancer, previously charged patients for their treatment. Theoretically, as part of IMSS/Bienestar, all treatment should be free, even for people who aren’t members of IMSS, which has traditionally operated like a public health insurance benefit to most employees in Mexico. We’ll be following up on how that goes and will keep you posted.
Support for today’s Oaxaca Newscast comes from Davá Artisanal Shoe Design. A collective of Zapotec women providing more than 100 sustainable jobs, Davá makes and sells contemporary shoes and sandals using traditional indiengous textiles. Visit their shoe boutique in Oaxaca’s Centro Histórico at Cinco de Mayo number 210, near the corner of Murguía. Open every day from 8am to 5pm.
Public health officials have started receiving doses of the season flu vaccine, and say their goal is to vaccinate 1.2 million people in Oaxaca between now and mid-March. For the moment, however, the vaccines are only available to healthcare workers, pregnant women, senior citizens and people with serious chronic illnesses, and will be rolled out to the general public at large in the coming weeks and months.
As the crowds of people migrating from all over Latin America — but especially from Venezuela — continues to push northward through Oaxaca toward the United States, Oaxaca state officials estimate that some 2500 migrants are passing through the state each day. Officials from Juchitán to the capital city are looking for ways to deal with the crisis, and Oaxaca Newscast will bring you more details on that soon.
In weather, this Arctic cold front continues to push temperatures downward. Today mostly sunny skies in the capital city with highs of around 22 degrees celsius, 72 Fahrenheit and lows of about 10 and a half degrees celsius, 51 Fahrenheit, with no rain in today’s forecast. On the coast, expect a high temperature of 30 and a half degrees celsius/87 degrees Fahrenheit in Puerto Escondido with partly sunny skies and a chance of showers in the late afternoon and evening.
If you’re in the city of Oaxaca and looking for something to do tonight, it’s the perfect weather to join the nighttime bike ride through the Centro Histórico organized by the non-profit organization Mundo Ceiba. The bike tour is free to join in, and if you don’t have a bike, they’ll rent you one. Call or text them at 951 192 0419 for details.
Or, if you prefer live music, check out the electro acoustic folk rock group León tonight starting at 7pm at Santo Remedio. The address is Palmeras #810, Colonia Reforma, and admission is free.