- At the beginning of the pandemic, The Lancet placed Mexico as the country with the most health workers killed by Covid-19.
- The staff of 27 CDMX public hospitals demonstrated to demand better working conditions.
- Among the main complaints of doctors are the low salaries they receive.
Being a health professional is a privilege but also implies a strong responsibility. Many years of study and training are necessary to be able to exercise the Bachelor’s degree. Therefore, in the end, the least that is expected is to be able to have a decent life. The problem is that there are countries like Mexico where the doctors are paid too low.
Mexican doctors, between exploitation and mistreatment
This situation has prevailed for decades, and despite promises of change, no real transformation has ever occurred. Not even for being an essential and high-risk job does it have a fair remuneration. In addition, the conditions that exist inside hospitals leave all health workers vulnerable.
In fact, during the Covid-19 pandemic it was demonstrated. At the beginning of the health emergency, the magazine The Lancet placed Mexico as the country with the most doctors who died from this new disease in the world. It cannot be certain, but most of them were infected by caring for patients as part of their daily work.
For their part, for months the doctors were seen as heroes for their heroic work. Medals and awards were even given for their noble work. Although this attitude only lasted a few months because then there was a setback.
In fact, on multiple occasions it has been accused that doctors went from being heroes to being unemployed. The reason is because after the most critical moment of the pandemic there were cuts in hospitals. The memory of the authorities was minimal and short-term.
Doctors protest lack of supplies and low salaries
After understanding the general context, now is the time to know what happened today. From very early several hospitals in Mexico City woke up covered with blankets.
According to what was published by Millennium, medical personnel from 27 hospitals in the country’s capital demonstrated peacefully. The main complaints were the lack of supplies that has intensified in recent months and the meager salaries they receive.
Among the affected units is the Balbuena General Hospital. Even its workers closed several surrounding streets and traffic chaos was generated for a few hours.
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Workers from the General Hospital of Balbuena keep Avenida Fray Servando blocked; They also demand basification and better working conditions pic.twitter.com/0WIuvEB7ML— dna40 (@dna40) June 23, 2023
Although it was not the only complaint because several units also complained because now the hospitals that belonged to the Ministry of Health of Mexico City (Sedesa) will be transferred to IMSS Bienestar. The drawback is that there are many who work for fees and will not be based.
Similarly, they ensure that during the administration of Claudia Sheinbaum there were no substantial improvements in the working conditions of health workers. They even affirm that they were erased from the public agenda.
In the end, all the roads were freed but the demonstrations are expected to continue in the coming days. What is expected with these claims is to achieve an improvement within public hospitals. In addition, the doctors are hoping to end the low wages that prevail in the trade.
Also read:
The states with the lowest medical salaries in Mexico
Salaries in the health sector in Mexico are so low that doctors must work double shifts
The states of Mexico that offer the LOWEST salaries to doctors