Criminals, suspects won't be treated at TJ's General Hospital





By Angelica Martinez
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

6:25 p.m. May 27, 2008

TIJUANA – Injured criminals or suspects detained by authorities will no longer be treated at the city's General Hospital, state health officials have promised.
The officials told doctors who have demanded more security that those patients will be sent to a special wing at a prison in the city, said Dr. Jose Manuel Robles Barbosa, the hospital's director.



AdvertisementDoctors are also developing a treatment protocol for such patients, including informing their relatives of their condition, Robles said.
Robles said police and other authorities will help determine who goes to the hospital and who goes to the prison for treatment. Those who will staff the wing will do so voluntarily for extra pay, he said.

The hospital serves a large uninsured population in Tijuana. Crime suspects or those already in custody are often treated there, Robles said, but their presence and a rise in violence has prompted doctors to stage labor protests because they fear for their safety.

β€œIt's not pleasant to hear gunshots at work,β€