In November 2024, the Mexican government, through the IMSS-Bienestar program, hired 200 Cuban doctors to strengthen health services in areas with a shortage of medical personnel, particularly in Chiapas. Among them is general surgeon Juan Francisco Canino Martínez, who arrived at the Basic Community Hospital of Cintalapa, a municipality located an hour and a half from Tuxtla Gutiérrez. This hospital, built in 2000, is part of a network of health centers designed to serve remote or difficult-to-access areas, but which has historically faced shortages of equipment and personnel, says La Jornada.
The situation at the Cintalapa Hospital
The Basic Community Hospital of Cintalapa has a capacity of 12 census beds, although in practice up to 30 beds have been enabled due to high demand. However, it does not have the personnel or supplies necessary to operate optimally. The hospital director, Julio César López Camacho, regretted that, despite the calls for applications, the vacancies for surgeons have not been able to be filled. Currently, there are only two Mexican specialists: one on morning shift and another on weekends.
The arrival of Cuban doctors, including Dr. Canino Martínez and Dr. Yadelin, has allowed the general surgery service to be strengthened and increased health coverage. In addition, seven other Cuban specialists were assigned to the hospital: a traumatologist, an internist, a pediatrician and four family doctors, distributed in different shifts. This has allowed for improved coverage of care in core specialties such as gynecology, pediatrics, internal medicine and surgery.
Immediate impact
Since the incorporation of Cuban doctors, the number of surgical interventions in the hospital has increased by 50%, reaching more than 120 operations per month. Although the backlog remains significant, this increase has eased the burden on the Jesús Gilberto Gómez Maza General Hospital in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, which is overwhelmed and receives complex cases that cannot be treated in Cintalapa.
Dr. Canino Martínez, who has experience in medical missions since 2006, has performed everything from emergency surgeries to wound care and procedures such as catheter placement. However, he has observed that many patients, especially men who are the breadwinners of their families, avoid undergoing surgery for fear of losing days of work, which can aggravate their health conditions.
Persistent challenges
Despite the progress, the hospital faces challenges. For example, it does not have a neonatologist, so births are attended by gynecologists and pediatricians, including the Cuban specialist, who has had to adapt to performing tasks outside her area of expertise. In addition, the lack of equipment and personnel remains a critical problem, limiting the hospital’s ability to serve a population of approximately 200,000 people, including inmates at the El Amate state prison.
Statements by Claudia Sheinbaum
President Claudia Sheinbaum has supported the hiring of Cuban doctors, arguing that it is a necessary measure to cover the shortage of specialists in Mexico. She noted that this shortage is the result of neoliberal policies that limited the training of specialist doctors for decades. Although since 2018 the training of specialists in the country has tripled (going from 6,000 to 18,000 per year), it still takes time to meet current needs. Sheinbaum stated that the hiring of foreign doctors will continue while the training of Mexican professionals is strengthened.
Source: elimparcial
