Baja California Sur Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío toured Los Cabos hospital facilities Wednesday, announcing 22.6 million pesos ($1.25 million USD) in renovations to the IMSS Bienestar hospital in Cabo San Lucas and confirming plans for a new hospital in San José del Cabo next year.
Renovation Details at Cabo San Lucas Hospital
The IMSS Bienestar (Mexico’s public health system for uninsured residents) hospital in Cabo San Lucas is receiving upgrades across several critical systems. The work includes full replacement of the air conditioning system, upgrades to surgical suites, and rehabilitation of the facility’s drainage infrastructure.
These repairs target long-standing capacity and maintenance issues at the hospital, which serves tens of thousands of Los Cabos residents who lack employer-sponsored IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute) coverage. The Cabo San Lucas facility has faced growing pressure as the municipality’s population has surged in recent years, outpacing public health infrastructure.
New Hospital Planned for San José del Cabo
Castro Cosío also confirmed that a new hospital will be built in San José del Cabo, with construction expected to begin next year. The project involves relocating the existing Raúl A. Carrillo Hospital to a new site, expanding both the physical footprint and service capacity for the eastern half of the Los Cabos municipality.
The new facility aligns with a broader federal effort announced earlier this year. In March, IMSS Bienestar Director Zoé Robledo confirmed that a second-level General Hospital of Los Cabos would feature 216 beds and 44 specialties, with equipment including MRI and CT scanners, a breast clinic, a pain clinic, and a catheterization room. The Mexican Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) has been assigned to oversee hospital construction through its military engineering corps. That facility is expected to serve roughly 414,000 IMSS Bienestar affiliates in the region.
The public investment comes as the private sector also expands health care in the corridor. CHRISTUS Muguerza broke ground on an $84 million, 75-bed specialty hospital in the Los Cabos tourist corridor, with a planned 2028 opening. That facility will offer nearly 30 specialties including cardiology, oncology, and neurosurgery.
Los Cabos has more than 350,000 permanent residents and receives roughly four million tourists per year. The current public hospital network has struggled to keep pace with that demand, particularly during peak winter travel months when the population swells.
Construction timelines for the new San José del Cabo hospital have not been finalized, though Castro Cosío said executive planning is already underway, according to the Baja California Sur state government.