Odelia Coello Márquez, a young indigenous woman, passed away after being transferred from the Community Hospital of Zoquitlán, in the municipality of Puebla, where she is presumed to have been a victim of medical negligence. She was pregnant and was urgently brought to the Women's and Neonatology Hospital in Tehuacán, but found the absence of qualified medical personnel.
The lack of doctors at the Tehuacán hospital led to the decision to transfer Odelia in a collective vehicle, as there was no ambulance available. Upon arrival at the hospital, her condition worsened and unfortunately, she passed away in the early morning. Her baby, who remains alive, is in critical condition under medical care.
The tragic death of Odelia Coello has caused great outrage, especially among the inhabitants of the Sierra Negra of Puebla, who have long denounced the precarious conditions of hospitals and health centers in the region. In response to protests and outrage, the state Secretary of Health, in collaboration with IMSS-Bienestar, has committed to addressing the concerns of the protesters through dialogue.
Health authorities have promised to improve the infrastructure and services at the Women's and Neonatology Hospital in Tehuacán, as well as at other medical care centers in the region. Despite having sufficient medical personnel, there are plans to incorporate additional specialists. They have ensured the availability of an ambulance and a supply of medications, but there are still failures in medical equipment, such as the X-ray machine that is undergoing maintenance.
Hemodialysis services are conducted at the General Hospital of Tehuacán, and despite efforts to improve the situation, residents of areas such as Zoquitlán, Ajalpan, and Coxcatlán, as well as other localities in the Sierra Negra, continue to face problems of medication shortages, lack of medical personnel, and long waits for surgeries. The lack of basic infrastructure, such as shelters for patients' families, exacerbates the situation in which health services are provided in the region.
This case highlights deficiencies in the public health system in rural communities and underscores the urgency to improve infrastructure and medical personnel in hospitals and health centers in the region.
