Health

Reality contradicts Mexico govt's claim pandemic is under control

Mexico City, Dec 1 (EFE).- Relatives of patients, health experts and even the World Health Organization are contradicting the official line being put out by the Mexican government that the coronavirus pandemic has been brought under control despite the fact that new records are being set for hospitalizations and the hospital system is saturated with ill people.The reality is much in evidence in front of the La Raza Hospital, one of the health centers that is practically 100 percent occupied in Mexico City, where Sandra Flores is one of dozens of people who are waiting out on the street for news of their loved ones being treated inside. (Camera: MIGUEL ANGEL ANDRADE). SHOT LIST: RELATIVES OF PATIENTS WAITING OUT ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF HOSPITALS FOR NEWS OF THEIR LOVED ONES BEING TREATED INSIDE, IN MEXICO CITY, MEXICO. SOUND BITES: SANDRA FLORES, MAXIMO VEGA, AND RODRIGO DEL CASTILLO, RELATIVES OF PATIENTS (IN SPANISH).TRANSLATIONSANDRA FLORES: He (my relative) came with all the symptoms, he needed to be hospitalized, but there were no available beds, so we were waiting a bit to see if they could give him one.MAXIMO VEGA: It's very slow, what's happening is that there are not a lot of personnel and since the hospital is saturated, it's very slow. So, they don't come out so quickly to give us reports. We have to wait.RODRIGO DEL CASTILLO: I was calling to see if we could get him transferred. Apparently, there's no room in private hospitals. In public hospitals like the Social Security (hospital), the ISSSTE and the military (hospital) yes there are available beds.