Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Doctors say 5 patients died during power failure at Tijuana hospital

Five intubated coronavirus patients died over the weekend at Tijuana’s General Hospital, and authorities are investigating whether a power failure was to blame.

The loss of power occurred for a few hours on Saturday, and then again on Sunday for most of the day, and is attributed to the theft of wiring from an electrical substation. Four patients hooked up to ventilators died on Saturday, and a fifth passed away on Sunday. 

By protocol, when a power outage occurs, patients whose treatment requires electrical power are moved to areas of the hospital serviced by the hospital’s generator, but hospital staff claim the generator wasn’t in proper working order. The hospital’s quality and safety committee is investigating the incident.  

State Health Minister Alonso Pérez Rico disputed the claim that the power outage led to the patients’ deaths. “… the ventilators have an internal battery that lasts from four to six hours and that’s more than enough time to move the patient,” he said.

Another version of the weekend’s events has doctors stating that the generator did not supply power to the elevators and thus they could not move intubated patients to floors that had electrical power. 

The patients who died were unable to be moved to the hospital’s morgue until power was restored on Monday. 

The hospital’s director, Alberto Reyes Escamilla, said in a statement that at no time was the safety of patients compromised and denied that patients had died due to the electrical failure.

Source: Milenio (sp), El Universal (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
An aerial view of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, showcasing its dense urban landscape and iconic architectural landmarks under a bright, clear sky. In the foreground, vibrant green trees partially obscure the view. The colonial-era city is characterized by warm, earthy tones like ochre, terracotta, and cream. Prominently featured in the midground is the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, a striking neo-Gothic church with a pinkish-orange facade and towering spires.

MND Local: San Miguel de Allende July news roundup

0
Catch up with San Miguel de Allende's local news for July as the city beefs up security, raises bus fares and gears up for a week-long culture festival.
Mexico's budget deficit

Mexico slashes budget deficit by US $8.5B as tax collection surges 8.9%

8
A 38.4% boost in revenue from import taxes and a 5.3% decrease in public spending from January-May helped to majorly reduce Mexico's budget deficit.
the commute from Tijuana to San Diego

Number of cross-border workers from Baja California drops 20%

2
INEGI data showed that Baja California residents who commute regularly to work in Southern California stood at 70,642 in Q1 of 2025, down from 87,190 in the first quarter of 2024.