Water Supply and Quality Crisis Affects Mexican Healthcare

In March 2024, media outlets reported on the lack of water in public hospitals in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico, such as the President Benito Juárez Regional Hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute.

“At the moment, there is no strategy to prevent the water problem,” Jesús Gonzalo López Cruz, MD, former director of the hospital, told the Medscape Spanish edition.

The doctor explained that this hospital has two tanks of 40,000 L and 50,000 L, as well as contracts with a company that delivers water through tankers. The hospital does not have its own wells.

“It is because of the national and international problem of climate change that affects us more every day, and in healthcare facilities, water is a vital element for care and to reduce nosocomial infections, for the needs of staff and users,” said López.

The water crisis affecting healthcare institutions is serious, Héctor Raúl Pérez Gómez, MD, research professor at the University of Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico, member of the National Researchers System, and former general director of the Civil Hospital of Guadalajara, told Medscape Spanish edition. “In hospitals, in fact, the technical standard for water quality is much stricter. It must be, for obvious reasons; water in clinics and hospitals must have higher quality because we are talking about patients who may have immunologic disorders that make them more susceptible to diseases of various kinds, particularly gastrointestinal and dermatological ones.”

Supply and Quality

The water crisis has two aspects: One related to supply to urban and rural populations, and another concerning water quality, said Pérez.

“Undoubtedly, the water crisis, both in supply and quality, directly affects health from various angles,” he said. The water supply crisis and the poor quality of water used in daily activities (such as washing fruits, vegetables, and other foods, as well as personal hygiene) increase the risk for diseases, especially gastrointestinal diseases.

Both doctors believe that healthcare facilities should have priority when it comes to water supply. Healthcare facilities not only care for patients’ needs but also can be sources of bacteria, viruses, and other infectious agents, said López.

“Definitely, water supply and quality must be considered a priority aspect of care, and I do not rule out that in the future it may even have to be considered a matter of public security, of national security. We know, for example, that most dams in the national territory of Mexico are below 15% of their capacity. If high temperatures continue, this crisis could be even greater,” said Pérez.

The minimum amount of water required in health centers and hospitals is 5 L per outpatient, 40-60 L per hospitalized patient per day, and “additional amounts may be required for laundries, toilet flushing, etc.,” according to the Pan American Health Organization.

Public policies aimed at preserving water supply and quality are being neglected, said Pérez. “For example, rainwater harvesting and exploitation through domestic systems that can generate greater supply for daily consumption must be among the top policy priorities of governments at the federal, state, and municipal levels.”

Possible Solutions

Water management in hospitals can be considered within the framework of sustainable development and integrated water resource management, José Arturo Gleason Espíndola, PhD, research professor of sustainable architecture and urban planning at the University of Guadalajara, told Medscape Spanish edition. “A hospital must be designed, built, operated, and maintained with technical rigor, in terms of water quality. There must be water for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, medical activities, cleaning, laundry, and so on.”

Hospitals always must have sufficient water, he added. “It is relevant to consider that hospitals should be located in areas where water is available. Unfortunately, in some cases they are located or built where there is little water, and if this issue is not anticipated, the hospital can prepare for scarcity.”

On the other hand, designers, builders, and investors in public or private hospitals must commit to ensuring that every drop entering the hospital is properly managed, said Gleason. “There should be no room for irrational waste. Therefore, it must be well planned architecturally from the point of view of the hydro-sanitary systems, and all architectural design must respond to an efficient use of water.”

All hospitals should consider implementing sustainable technologies, such as rainwater harvesting systems: Storage and use of this water, Gleason added.

“A hospital should also consider the reuse of gray water and sewage water — with the proper treatment, of course, and if viable, according to the contaminants of each hospital and the services it offers. It can be used for irrigation or treated to be integrated into the environment,” he added.

Operators and users of all hospitals must consider that humanity is entering a stage in which water will become scarcer due to growing use and poor management. “I think it is a great opportunity for the healthcare sector to commit to developing, designing, operating, and maintaining sustainable hospitals,” Gleason concluded.

Pérez and Gleason declared no relevant financial relationships.

This story was translated from the Medscape Spanish edition using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.