Aguascalientes Opina – December 17, 2024

By Aníbal Salazar

Between promises, neglect, and the hope of a forgotten hospital. The announcement finally arrived, as if dusting off a project buried under the rubble of political indifference and prolonged omissions. The unfinished hospital located in Pabellón de Arteaga, also situated atop a geological fault, has been handed over to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) after years of abandonment. This architectural skeleton, inherited from the administrations of Carlos Lozano and Martín Orozco, remained on hold under the recurring pretext of a lack of budget, becoming a tangible symbol of governmental neglect.

Now, under the promise of the Federation, the infrastructure will be completed and operated to address emergencies in the northern region of the state, from Pabellón de Arteaga to Luis Moya, Zacatecas. An announcement that, while tinged with hope, also reflects a lost decade in which thousands of beneficiaries saw their most pressing needs postponed. The construction of this hospital not only addresses a historical debt but also promises to save lives through timely interventions, preventing minor incidents from turning into irreparable tragedies.

Along the same lines, the governor of Aguascalientes, Teresa Jiménez, made her appearance at the 115th Ordinary General Assembly of the IMSS in Mexico City. During this event, it was confirmed not only that the Pabellón de Arteaga hospital would be completed but also the construction of a new hospital in the eastern part of the capital, with more than 260 beds, surpassing even the capacity of the iconic Miguel Hidalgo Hospital. It is worth remembering that this project was one of Jiménez’s main campaign promises and, at the same time, a veiled reproach to her predecessor, Martín Orozco, who left the population waiting for other major works that never materialized.

The governor’s acknowledgment of federal authorities and Zoé Robledo, general director of the IMSS, hints at a politically convenient relationship that, fortunately, this time seems to benefit the state’s inhabitants. However, the delivery of this hospital and the projection of new health infrastructure also carries with it an underlying request: that the Federation abandon its intention to absorb the Miguel Hidalgo Hospital, an icon of state medical efficiency and a source of pride for the people of Aguascalientes.

Beyond official speeches and protocol acts, the completion of this hospital represents an urgent need. Fulfilled promises are celebrated but also questioned when they arrive after so many years of delay and so many lives affected by the lack of medical infrastructure. The population of Pabellón de Arteaga and the surrounding municipalities deserves more than good intentions; they deserve concrete and timely actions, not just when political pressure demands it.

The challenge now is for the Federation to meet the promised timelines and quality standards. It will be of little use to inaugurate hospitals if they lack trained personnel, sufficient medical equipment, and resources for daily operation. Health, as Teresa Jiménez herself stated, is a fundamental right, but it is also a thermometer of how seriously governments respond to the needs of their population.

For now, the delivery of the Pabellón de Arteaga hospital seems to be a step in the right direction. However, collective memory does not forget years of abandonment and unfulfilled promises. Recent history has taught us to be cautious with grandiloquent announcements. The true chronicle will be written when the doors of this hospital finally open, with staff, beds, and medications ready to serve those who need them. Only then can we celebrate that, at last, health in northern Aguascalientes and southern Zacatecas received the attention it deserves.

In time… and in your opinion.