Mexico: Medical services suspended in parts of Chihuahua Nov. 12

Event

As of Monday, November 13, medical services are suspended in at least four municipalities in Chihuahua state following the abduction of a doctor by an armed group in Gómez Farías. Public health services have been reportedly shut down in four municipalities in the Sierra Madre Occidental region of the state - Ignacio Zaragoza, Gómez Farías​, Madera, and Namiquipa - and more than a dozen medical students have fled the area due to the fear of further violence against medical professionals.

Medical students in Chihuahua have also reportedly organized protests on university campuses and local towns to resist what they say are unsafe work assignments in areas affected by the current violence. Additional medical student protests are possible and continued medical service disruptions are expected in the coming days.

Context

There has been a reported increase in the number of kidnappings and homicides in Chihuahua state in recent years. This violence is poised to continue as long as the structural causes of insecurity - such as institutional weakness, corrupt and deficient security forces, poor public services, and a political establishment susceptible to bribes - are not effectively addressed.

Advice

All those present in the region are advised to anticipate potential disruptions in the availability of health care services as well as increased wait times at still-operational clinics. Due to extreme levels of violence linked to the presence of various armed groups, some Western governments advise against nonessential travel to parts of Chihuahua state, along with a large portion of Mexican territory, including parts of Coahuila, Guerrero, Jalisco, Colima, Sinaloa, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Estado de Mexico, Sonora, and Tamaulipas states and the northeastern border with the US.