Todos Santos Clinic Shuts Down as Mexico’s “Denmark-Style” Health System Falters in Baja California Sur

 

Government promises of a modern health system collide with shortages, neglect, and frustration on the ground.

BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR — The lofty promises of a “Denmark-style” public health system in Mexico are colliding head-on with a harsher reality: hospitals without supplies, clinics without running water, and exhausted medical workers trying to serve patients with almost nothing.

Today, Isabel de la Peña Angulo, a union leader for health workers in Todos Santos, announced on social media the temporary shutdown of the town’s main public clinic, which serves more than 10,000 residents. The reason: a complete lack of medical supplies and even basic water service, making it impossible to continue regular operations.

In her post, de la Peña wrote:

“Health workers in the Pueblo Mágico of Todos Santos requested the closure of the community’s health center. Only emergency cases will be treated, out of humanity and moral commitment to our patients. We expect a prompt solution — out of respect for our users and solidarity with our colleagues.”

The closure highlights the deepening cracks in Mexico’s healthcare system since President Andrés Manuel López Obrador dismantled the Seguro Popular program, a move that critics say plunged the country into its worst health crisis in modern history.

In Baja California Sur, the state government led by Víctor Castro Cosío opted to join the federal IMSS-Bienestar network — an initiative intended to expand access but which has instead been plagued by the same problems seen nationwide: chronic medicine shortages, aging equipment, and overworked staff.

Meanwhile, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s repeated assurances of a revitalized national health system have yet to translate into tangible improvements in hospitals or clinics, particularly in rural communities where residents often wait hours — or days — for care.

For the people of Todos Santos, one of Baja California Sur’s most iconic coastal towns, the shuttering of their clinic is more than just an inconvenience — it’s a warning sign. Behind the slogans of “well-being” and “universal access,” the reality of Mexico’s health crisis is playing out quietly, one closed door at a time.

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