Chronic Diseases Drive 40% of Visits to Cancún’s Municipal Health Clinics

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Chronic diseases account for 40 percent of patient visits to Cancún’s municipal health units, according to Héctor González Rodríguez, the city’s health director.

In an interview Thursday, González said most of these cases involve people with diabetes who have developed non-serious complications. He noted that patients with severe conditions generally do not seek care at the municipal clinics, instead going to emergency rooms at secondary care hospitals.

“Normally, when a patient feels very ill, they don’t come to a first-contact medical unit. They usually go to the emergency room, which is why we don’t see emergency cases,” he said.

González explained that chronic patients typically visit the municipal health units for routine checkups, medication refills, or early warning signs of complications. When someone arrives with a significant complication, clinic staff refer them to hospitals such as the IMSS or the General Hospital for stabilization.

The official also said the municipal health units have not seen an increase in seasonal illnesses during the current summer vacation period. The weekly average has been about 400 consultations, he said, and the number is expected to rise to between 500 and 600 once the school year begins.

Besides chronic conditions, the most common reasons for consultations have been respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.