Yucatán health workers protest precarious contracts at new Dr. Agustín O’Horán Hospital

At the newly inaugurated Hospital General “Dr. Agustín O’Horán” in Mérida, Yucatán, health personnel have denounced irregular hiring practices. Nurses and other staff say that, despite the government's promotion of the hospital as a major health project, many long‑tenured workers were left with short‑term IMSS‑Bienestar contracts, low wages (between 3,000 and 3,500 pesos bi‑weekly) and no benefits.

Nurse Sandra Abril Castillo Sansores, with more than 12 years of continuous service, wrote to Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena asking that promised permanent positions be granted. Workers claim that only a small group of people close to administrative leaders received better‑paid, stable contracts, while others continue on temporary terms that prevent seniority and access to full benefits. They also report increased workloads, insufficient medical supplies and a perception that the new building’s modern image does not match the reality of staffing conditions.

The staff are demanding that the promised labor stability and dignified working conditions be implemented, warning that “new walls do not cure patients; the workers do.”