In March 2024, media outlets reported on the lack of water in public hospitals in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico, such as the President Benito Juárez Regional Hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute.
The water crisis affecting healthcare institutions is serious, Héctor Raúl Pérez Gómez, MD, research professor at the University of Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico, member of the National Researchers System, and former general director of the Civil Hospital of Guadalajara, toldedition."In hospitals, in fact, the technical standard for water quality is much stricter.
"Definitely, water supply and quality must be considered a priority aspect of care, and I do not rule out that in the future it may even have to be considered a matter of public security, of national security. We know, for example, that most dams in the national territory of Mexico are below 15% of their capacity. If high temperatures continue, this crisis could be even greater," said Pérez.
Hospitals always must have sufficient water, he added."It is relevant to consider that hospitals should be located in areas where water is available. Unfortunately, in some cases they are located or built where there is little water, and if this issue is not anticipated, the hospital can prepare for scarcity."