IMSS Hospital Deputy Director in Cancún Reports Death Threats After Viral Video

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The deputy director of the Mexican Social Security Institute’s (IMSS) Regional General Hospital No. 17 in Cancún says his life is at risk after receiving death threats and sustained harassment through social media.

Christian González said publicly that the messages come from accounts claiming to belong to members of organized crime, and that some of the attacks are xenophobic in nature.

Harassment Followed Viral Emergency Room Video

The abuse intensified after a video circulated documenting long delays in the hospital’s emergency department. In the footage, patients and relatives complained about waiting times while hospital staff acknowledged that the service was overwhelmed.

The material went viral in recent hours, triggering a wave of comments and accusations directed at the hospital’s management.

Transfer Request Denied

Citing the severity of the threats, González urgently requested a transfer to another state. IMSS rejected the move, invoking the so-called “clause 53,” an internal rule that requires staff to remain at least two years in an assigned post within the region.

He has asked senior authorities to intervene and set aside the requirement so that he can leave the city for safety reasons.

Long-Standing Complaints at Hospital 17

Regional Hospital 17 is no stranger to complaints from patients. Prolonged waits in the emergency department, shortages of staff and medicines, and allegations about the quality of care have all been documented on previous occasions. Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission has even issued recommendations to IMSS over cases of deficient care at the same unit, some of which ended with the death of patients.

Families have described waiting for hours with seriously ill relatives without a clear response from staff, creating a climate of permanent tension inside and outside the facility.

So far, no special protection measures for the director have been reported, and the institute has not issued an official statement on the threats. González insists the risk is real and that the relevant authorities must act immediately to guarantee his safety and that of his family.

Until the case moves forward, hospital staff are working under the pressure of public complaints and uncertainty about possible external reprisals. The situation comes as health workers in Quintana Roo face external pressures that go beyond the daily operation of hospitals. Meanwhile, Regional Hospital 17 continues to treat hundreds of patients a day in an emergency service that, according to internal reports, frequently operates at the limit of its capacity.