Chetumal General Hospital Overwhelmed as Families Sleep on Sidewalks Amid Inhumane Conditions

Chetumal, Mexico — Chetumal General Hospital has been overwhelmed by surging demand for medical services, forcing families of patients to sleep on sidewalks and nearby green areas due to a lack of proper waiting facilities. Relatives describe inhumane conditions, including no access to bathrooms and exposure to cold nighttime winds.

Family members of a patient from Vicente Guerrero community expressed fear of speaking to media, citing previous instances where they faced disapproval from hospital security and were denied visitation access as retaliation. “We’ve been sleeping on the sidewalk outside the hospital for several days, and we’re even scared because we’ve been warned that police might come and disperse us,” said the father of a patient hospitalized with traumatic brain injury. “But we’re not doing anything wrong—we’re just waiting for news about my daughter.”

The family set up a tent and even brought a mattress to rest during cold nights and endure intense daytime heat. They noted the indignity of bathroom facilities being unavailable to relatives, with hospital staff claiming they were out of service.

Gilberto Uc Baeza, who also has a hospitalized relative, said he has occupied the green area and sidewalk near Chetumal Technological Institute, where he placed a hammock and tent to await medical updates. He lamented the deplorable conditions and poor treatment of companions, with no adequate spaces to shelter from intense cold and strong nighttime winds. He also acknowledged that non-functioning bathrooms force families to seek uncomfortable alternatives, unlike hospitals in Cancún which have proper companion areas.

Juan Hernández, who traveled from Campeche to care for his father hospitalized after a stroke, called it outrageous to keep people outside without proper rest areas. For physiological needs, they must request permission to use bathrooms or travel to the nearest shelter, which proves difficult. He added that surgery scheduling times are excessively long, with some patients waiting over two months without an operating room date while their families endure difficult nights due to recent cold winds affecting Chetumal.

Hernández said the inhumane conditions for patient companions are evident, and citizens have expressed dissatisfaction, especially considering the health sector receives one of the highest annual budgets. He added that Governor Mara Lezama claims health care in Quintana Roo is for everyone, but reality shows it benefits only a few.

What’s visible admits no debate: the hospital’s sidewalks and area near Chetumal Technological Institute are occupied by families like an improvised market, with tents, hammocks, tables, and chairs for resting. Gilberto Uc called the situation shameful, noting that guards prevent bathroom access in a clearly inhumane act, among numerous hospital deficiencies forcing people to endure cold nights and hot afternoons while awaiting their loved ones’ recovery.