President Andrés Manuel López Obrador hailed yesterday’s approval of the 2024 Federal Expenditure Budget, with 262 votes in favor, 216 against and one abstention. He explained that this will boost the amounts of funding allocated for scholarships, pensions, and social programs, in addition to allowing for increases in the health, education, and public security sector spending.
Following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Otis, the Ministry of Health reported that 110 first level health care units in Acapulco and Coyuca de Benítez are already operating at 80% capacity. So far, 33,507 medical consultations have been provided and 3,882 doses of vaccines have been administered.
The IMSS-Bienestar program employs 63,808 doctors, of whom 27,779 are specialists, according to Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) director Zoé Robledo. Progress is being made in regularizing the employment status of health-care personnel and issuing IMSS credentials for program beneficiaries in Baja California Sur, Colima, Nayarit, Tlaxcala, and Campeche. The goal is to provide credentials to 50 million people.
Minister of National Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval presented the Acapulco Security Protection Plan. The Plan will assign 113 National Guard (NG) battalions to Guerrero, 81 of which will be stationed in Acapulco. 14,620 members of the NG will be deployed in the state, the largest number in the country.
President López Obrador reported that the delivery of wellbeing program will begin today in Acapulco. The President will hold a meeting to review the application of the Recovery Plan. Tomorrow, he will meet with tourist sector businessmen at the National Palace at 10:30 am.
The Mexican Government will deliver 3 million basic food baskets, each one with 24 products, to counteract the rise in prices of such items in Acapulco. The measure will cost 3 billion pesos (US$170 million). The President said such a large investment has never been made before in a similar situation.