Medical personnel from General Hospital No. 6 of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) hold a protest after the death of a colleague, due to what they say is the lack of equipment to treat patients with the COVID-19, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

Abandonment for a long time now, have staggered many Mexican hospitals. To date, as COVID-19 continues to devastate the nation, some patients die not only because of the virus but also because of abandonment or faults which could have been easily avoided. This is what doctors and nurses have believed so.

The senseless deaths, medical professionals claim, are tormenting them the most. Specifically, when an article reported a patient who died because of the unplugging of a ventilator, reportedly by an inexperienced nurse. Then, there's another patient who, this same reputable news agency reported, "died from septic shock" as no one was around for the observation of his vital signs.

There were also patients too, whose breathing tubes reportedly clogged after being neglected four hours in their hospital beds.

It's Not Just COVID-19 that Claims Lives

With some of the reported deaths due to neglect in several Mexican hospitals, it is not just COVID-19 that is claiming the lives of the many. Mexico's broken system, observers say and according to reports, is indeed, killing people, too.

As earlier mentioned, neglect in many hospitals for a long time now, have undeniably staggered the health care system of Mexico, leaving it a dangerous shortage of nurses, doctors, and equipment to combat the global health crisis that has severely affected even the affluent countries.

To date, the COVID-19 crisis has even worsened the situations, infecting over 11,000 Mexican frontliners. The number turns out to be among the world's highest rates, and reduces the "already thin ranks in hospitals." Some hospitals, according to reports, have lost their workers due to either absenteeism or sickness. Other facilities, on the other hand, are experiencing a shortage of basic health apparatus including heart monitors, among others.

These scarcities several health workers across the nation claimed, have had alarming consequences for patients. Moreover, some medical professionals recalled dozens of fatalities in hospitals that could have been prevented.

Spending Less on Health Care

The World Bank said, the Mexican administration has not allotted a considerable amount on health care as its economy's percentage compared to most nations in the Western Hemisphere, and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador managed the spending reductions, even after he acknowledged that Mexico had "200,000 health workers than it needed."

When the pandemic hit the country two months ago, a lot of hospitals sent frontliners to deal with the overflowing of cases. They were not provided with any training or personal protective equipment or PPE. In relation to the occurrence, according to some nurses, they were instructed not to wear face masks to get rid of causing panic. Despite that, still, a lot of people were reportedly forced to buy goggles and face covers as their shield from possible contagions.

The effect has been severe. Based on the data The New York Times reported, about "one in every five confirmed COVID-19 cases" in the country is a health care worker. This ratio is considerably a greater share than in China, the US, or Italy.

The outbreak of Mexico has grown fast. It does not show any indication of slowing, either. Reported cases and mortalities have increased each week for several months now, particularly hitting Mexico City. Also severely affected is Baja California, specifically including Tijuana.

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