IMSS-Bienestar has established itself as a fundamental tool in free medical care in Mexico, benefiting 53.2 million people without social security in 23 states. In his participation in the 176th Pulso de la Salud conference, the general director of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), Zoé Robledo, highlighted this achievement as a legacy of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Since its launch on October 10, 2023, IMSS-Bienestar has experienced exponential growth, increasing its installed capacity from 80 to 660 hospitals and from 3,622 Rural Medical Units (UMR) to 11,935 health centers. In addition, the staff has grown from 23,967 to 274,977 workers, thus strengthening care in communities that previously lacked medical resources.
Robledo stressed that IMSS-Bienestar is based on five essential elements: it is public, free, universal, preventive, and is implemented as a State policy. “The president has accomplished a great feat, and the future of IMSS-Bienestar is promising,” he said, stressing that the health of Mexicans is a fundamental right.
As for the recruitment of medical personnel, 14 states have reached 100% in the incorporation of specialist doctors, while another nine are at 95% progress. This effort has made it possible to bring specialized care to rural areas, where there was previously a shortage of health professionals.
Collaboration with the Cuban government has resulted in the addition of 3,101 physicians from 35 specialties, providing care in 329 municipalities. In addition, the nursing workforce has grown significantly, increasing from 70,859 to 103,759 professionals.
In total, the number of workers in the IMSS-Bienestar system has grown from 121,000 to 168,627, with a 40.5% increase in staff for health centers and hospitals in the states involved.
The “La Clínica es Nuestra” program allows citizens to participate in the improvement of their health centers by providing them with direct resources from the federal government. This has strengthened the relationship between communities and health services.
Robledo also highlighted that, since 2019, 189,324 units of medical equipment have been acquired, with an investment of 17,555 million pesos, improving the medical infrastructure in hospitals and health centers.
Finally, 5.2 million IMSS-Bienestar credentials have already been printed and distributed in 1,925 municipalities, facilitating access to these essential services for the population.
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