Baja California’s state health secretariat lost more than 2.2 billion pesos (roughly $110 million USD) from its budget between 2024 and 2026, a 40% reduction that has fueled medication shortages and a growing crisis at the state’s largest public hospital.
Figures published in the state’s official gazette show the health budget dropped from 5.5 billion pesos in 2024 to 3.3 billion pesos in 2026. The precise cut totals 2,215,877,283 pesos. Officials and analysts point to the federal government’s decision to centralize public health administration under IMSS Bienestar (the social security institute’s program for the uninsured) as the primary driver of the reduction.
Federal Centralization Behind the Cuts
Opposition legislators in the state congress, including lawmakers Daylin García of Movimiento Ciudadano and Alejandrina Corral of PAN, have called for the removal of state Health Secretary Adrián Medina Amarillas. They blame him for deteriorating conditions in public hospitals and clinics across the state.
But the budget numbers tell a different story. The steep funding decline tracks directly with Mexico’s ongoing shift of health services from state control to the federally run IMSS Bienestar system. As the federal government absorbs responsibilities previously funded at the state level, Baja California’s own health budget has shrunk accordingly.
The problem, critics say, is that IMSS Bienestar has not filled the gap. Miguel Romero, the IMSS Bienestar delegate overseeing the federalized health system in Baja California, has drawn sharp criticism for what observers describe as administrative failures in the transition.
Hospital Crisis and Drug Shortages
The Hospital General de Mexicali, one of the state’s most important public medical facilities, is experiencing what reports describe as a serious operational crisis. Patients across Baja California have reported widespread medication shortages at public clinics and hospitals.
For the roughly 3.7 million residents of Baja California, the budget gap creates a two-sided problem. The state has less money to run its remaining health programs, while the federal system meant to replace them has not delivered adequate coverage.
Expats and long-term foreign residents enrolled in IMSS or using public health facilities in Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, and Rosarito should expect continued service disruptions. Those who depend on public pharmacies for prescription medications may face ongoing shortages until the funding and administrative gaps are resolved.
The budget figures were first reported by The Baja Post, citing data from Baja California’s official gazette.