- The purpose is to change the laws to stop sending students to rural and dangerous areas.
- Only during this 2022 the murder of 3 medical interns in the country has been documented.
- While the UNAM states that, on average, 2 of its medical students are killed each year while performing their social service.
The last few days have been hectic for doctors in our country. Now they must not only take care of the Covid-19 pandemic but of something that has existed before and is just as or more dangerous. It is regarding the rise in the levels of violence and especially in the community areas where many of the students are abandoned.
Deadly attacks on medical students
The conflict was triggered on July 16 when the murder of medical intern Eric David Andrade Ramírez. He was a 24-year-old who was sent to the Comprehensive Hospital of El Salto, in Pueblo Nuevo, Durango, to complete your training. It is a mandatory procedure that all students must follow in order to graduate from the university.
For his part, this is by no means the first deadly attack once morest an aspiring doctor in our country. Only during this 2022 three young people have been registered in rural areas.
- Mariana Sánchez: January 28.
- Luis Fernando Montes de Oca Armas: June 30.
- Eric Andrade Ramírez: July 15.
While at the beginning of this 2022 Millennium Television published a report to learn regarding the current situation of health professionals. In general, it is mentioned that in rural areas the authorities are in collusion with organized crime. Therefore, the police do not protect or offer sufficient guarantees to those in charge of caring for patients.
The journalistic work also mentions that At least two UNAM medical interns are killed each year. With respect to the IPN, 24 homicides of medical personnel have been registered between 2010 and 2017.
For Eric, for Mariana, for those who come, for EVERYONE!! #NoMasServicioSocialEnMedicina #Nomasserviciosocial https://t.co/QnTxlyUoye
— Dra. Denali (@NVRE26) July 19, 2022
While the Mexican Association of Physicians in Training points out that until 2018 the murder of 633 medical interns in the country had been documented. While another 78 were violated.
Abolish social service in Medicine
With all of the above in mind, various doctors and students created the movement #NoMoreSocialService in social networks. It clearly demands an end to this stage that requires all doctoral candidates to complete a 12-month stay in a health center. Some are fortunate to be sent to places close to home or in large cities. Instead, others must do it in rural communities without sufficient security guarantees and the consequences can already be seen.
After the murder of a young doctor in Durango, which caused the trend in social networks #NoMoreSocialServicethe Secretary of Health, Jorge Alcocer said that canceling this requirement will not happen, since it is an “academic necessity”.https://t.co/ygqjXhzz2S
— etcetera (@revistaetcetera) July 19, 2022
For its part, The Médicxs en Formacion Collective prepared a petition with all the demands for the various participants in the health field. Both the schools and the authorities and the students themselves. Here we share the most important points:
For colleges and schools
- Do not offer social service positions in communities where they cannot guarantee the safety of the staff.
- Respond to complaints filed by medical personnel.
Increase the number of outreach and research positions and eliminate type C and CC positions.
For the Secretaries of Health
- Do not leave the responsibility of community health care in the hands of students without supervision or accompaniment.
- Immediately take responsibility for all complaints filed regarding cases of insecurity or harassment.
for the cameras
- To carry out a reform to the social service in Medicine, taking into account the voice of the students.
- Review the official norms of the social service in Medicine in the matter of Human Rights.
For the students
- Closing ranks through the Mexican Association of Physicians in Training.
- Know and demand your rights.
- Report the conditions of risk and vulnerability to which they are exposed.
for the guild
- Take a position on this crisis of violence.
For now, if you want to support this initiative to abolish social service in Medicine and stop sending young people to unsafe areas, all you have to do is use the hashtag #NoMoreSocialService in social networks. In this case, the union of the entire union is essential to achieve real changes.