Mexicali hospitals nearing capacity
MEXICALI, Baja California, (KYMA, KECY) - Mexicali hospitals serving COVID-19 patients have reached 65 percent capacity, Baja California Health officials report.
They say hospitals could reach maximum capacity as infection rates continue to rise in the border capital.
Currently Mexicali has experienced 1,463 positive cases and 134 deaths due to the virus. The Baja California Secretary of Health says the curve on an upwards trajectory, and cases have not decreased, in comparison to Tijuana, which has a larger population.
Across the border, The El Centro Regional Medical Center today confirmed it will not receive more COVID-19 patients in the Imperial Valley due to the strain on its facilities. ECRMC has stated patients will need to be transferred elsewhere.
The Baja California Secretary of Health, Alonso Pérez Rico also says he has seen an increase of patients requesting medical attention regarding COVID-19, both in hospitals in Mexico and in the US.
Mexicali fire director Rúben Osuna reported instances where Mexican ambulance services have requested to transfer covid US patients back to the United States.
He mentioned that on average there have been 3 transfers per month that they have made and that these are previously authorized by the hospitals of the Imperial Valley.
He explained that the transfers consist of taking the patient to the international sentry boxes where a US ambulance is waiting for them.
Currently in Mexicali there are 4 public hospitals that exclusively serve COVID-19 patients; the general hospital, Clinic 30 of the Mexican Social Security Institute, the auxiliary hospital unit that was set up at the Polytechnic University of Baja California, and recently a temporary hospital with 20 beds was set up in the Mexicali military base.
