O’Horán Hospital Draws Wave of Job-Seeking Doctors

Mérida’s rebuilt Agustín O’Horán hospital is drawing strong interest from medical professionals as it works to fill out its staff, according to the Yucatán state government.

Officials reported a high turnout of doctors seeking to join the Hospital de Alta Especialidad Agustín O’Horán, part of a staffing plan developed jointly by the state and IMSS-Bienestar, the federal health program covering Mexicans without other insurance. The plan calls for 622 new health professionals, which would bring the hospital’s staff to 1,217 workers.

State officials described the hiring push as a long-planned rollout rather than a reaction to any recent problem, noting that IMSS-Bienestar opened its first call for specialists back in February and has been coordinating staffing alongside preparations to open the hospital’s various services in stages.

Among those applying was Jorge Eduardo Durán Canul, a gynecologist from Mérida who said he’d wanted to work at O’Horán since his student days. “The new Hospital O’Horán is a well-known hospital. Since I was studying my degree, I wanted to join its ranks,” he said.

Óscar Hernández Rosales, an orthopedic surgeon living in Cholul, said the new positions are especially meaningful for doctors just starting their careers. “I think it’s a very good opportunity for everyone who is just graduating, and if they’re opening these doors, it’s for a reason. We have to take advantage of the opportunities we’re being given,” he said.

O’Horán’s staffing drive fits into a wider federal effort. IMSS-Bienestar has been expanding hospital capacity across the country, including a new hospital planned for Ticul, elsewhere in Yucatán, as part of an 11-hospital expansion announced this year.

The current Agustín O’Horán General Hospital, which traces its roots back nearly five centuries to Mérida’s first public hospital, is expected to become the largest medical facility in southeastern Mexico once fully staffed and operating. Yucatán Magazine has followed the hospital’s history as construction has progressed toward completion.

Fast facts

• Staffing plan: 622 new health professionals
• Target staff size: 1,217 workers
• Joint effort between the Yucatán state government and IMSS-Bienestar
• Recruitment for specialists began in February 2026

With reporting from La Jornada Maya