The Ministry of Health of Mexico instructed to review the sanitary and hygienic conditions of food services throughout the country’s public health system, following an outbreak of salmonella that affected 135 resident doctors at the General Hospital “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”.
Mexico’s Health Secretary, David Kershenobich, has instructed authorities across the country’s public health system to inspect food-service conditions in hospital kitchens, a directive that arrived three days after officials disclosed a salmonella-driven gastroenteritis outbreak at the General Hospital of Mexico “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”.
Since the outbreak surfaced, the ministry has widened its scope beyond that single facility, given that similar risks could plausibly exist elsewhere within a health network that serves millions of patients daily.
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Kershenobich confirmed that investigators have already begun examining conditions at other national health institutes and reference hospitals, explaining that the goal is not simply to contain the current episode but to catch and address any comparable risk before it develops into another outbreak.
In a recorded message, he laid out which agencies had been tasked with the review, naming the General Directorate of Epidemiology, the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris, in Spanish), the Coordinating Commission of National Health Institutes and High-Specialty Hospitals, along with the Mexican Social Security Institute, the Institute for Security and Social Services for State Workers, all of which he said must now carry out urgent, thorough reviews within their respective hospital networks.
Mensaje del secretario de Salud, Dr. David Kershenobich.
La Secretaría de Salud, en coordinación con las instituciones del sector, continúa con las acciones de vigilancia sanitaria y epidemiológica, así como las medidas preventivas en las unidades de Salud.
La protección de… pic.twitter.com/RGayJ3iK8K
— SALUD México (@SSalud_mx) September 6, 2026
Text reads: “Message from Health Secretary, Dr. David Kershenobich: The Ministry of Health, in coordination with institutions of the sector, continues with the actions of sanitary and epidemiological surveillance, as well as preventive measures in the units of Health. The protection of the health of those who work and train in our institutions, as well as the public user is our priority. We act with prevention, evidence and accountability.”
Kitchens Under Scrutiny
Because the outbreak has been traced to food-related contamination, the reviews are expected to concentrate specifically on how meals are prepared, stored, preserved and distributed, alongside a broader assessment of the physical condition of kitchens and dining areas; each institution has been asked to report its findings back to the Health Secretariat once the inspections conclude.
Kershenobich framed the effort as consistent with the Ministry’s stated priorities throughout the episode, namely protecting the health of residents, ensuring those affected receive proper care, and pursuing a rigorous investigation into what caused the outbreak in the first place.
He added that those sickened have already received medical attention and are said to be in stable condition, while stressing that medical residents perform essential work within the health system and therefore deserve institutions capable of guaranteeing them safe, dignified working conditions -a point that suggests the ministry sees this episode as touching on labor conditions as much as sanitation. According to Kershenobich, epidemiological and sanitary surveillance by the Directorate of Epidemiology and the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks remains ongoing, with the explicit aim of establishing evidence-based causes before moving to corrective measures.
Investigation Widens Further
In a parallel development, Mexico’s Anti-Corruption and Good Government Secretariat confirmed it has opened its own investigation to determine whether any administrative responsibility attaches to the case, suggesting that scrutiny may extend beyond sanitary protocols into questions of institutional accountability. That agency noted that the dining hall at the Liceaga hospital has remained closed since September 1 while the inquiry proceeds, and that laboratory results along with additional information are still pending, meaning a fuller picture of what went wrong may not emerge for some time.
By Sunday afternoon, the Mexican General Hospital reported that of the 41 medical residents and high-specialty physicians who had been hospitalized, 23 remained admitted, indicating that while some patients have recovered enough to be discharged, the outbreak’s effects are still being felt among a substantial share of those originally affected.
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