A Southern California hospital reports that Coronavirus patients are crossing the border from Mexico to seek treatment. The surge created a crisis in regional hospitals, prompting a patient transfer system across the state.
“They’ll literally come to the border and call an ambulance,” Van Gorder, president and CEO of Southern California’s Scripps Health system, told CNN. Officials cite increasing ambulance traffic from the border as an indication of the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. He and other health leaders claim most patients crossing the border are Americans.
“It’s an unprecedented surge across the border,” California Hospital Association President and CEO Carmela Coyle told CNN.
Imperial County has the highest per capita rate of Coronavirus cases in the state, CNN reported. Hospitals in the region transported more than 500 patients to other locations across the state in the last five weeks.
Dr. Duncan called the border crossings into Imperial County, “gas on the fire.”