Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledges Mexico healthcare bed deficit

President Claudia Sheinbaum has acknowledged a significant deficit in Mexico’s public healthcare system, specifically regarding the shortage of hospital beds. Speaking in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Sheinbaum noted that the accumulated lag over the last 36 years cannot be resolved in just one or two years.

To illustrate the scale of the issue, Sheinbaum stated that between 1943 and 1982, approximately 29,500 hospital beds were added to the system. However, between 1983 and 2018, only about 4,000 beds were added. She attributed this disparity to the deterioration of sanitary infrastructure during that period.

The President defended the progress made by the previous administration, asserting that Andrés Manuel López Obrador left the healthcare system in a better state than he found it. She indicated that the current administration, in conjunction with the previous one, aims to incorporate approximately 9,000 new beds over a 12-year period.

Sheinbaum cited several factors driving the increased demand for hospital services, including a growing workforce, a rise in chronic diseases, and medical needs highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.