IMSS Invests MX$1.7 Billion in Diagnostic Equipment Upgrade

The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) will deploy 123 high-technology medical imaging systems across the country as part of a MX$1.7 billion (US$87.4 million) investment. The project aims to replace obsolete equipment and expand diagnostic capacity in primary and tertiary care units, says Zoé Robledo, Director General, IMSS.

The equipment will be installed in 27 Family Medicine Units (UMF) and 96 hospitals in 26 states. All systems are scheduled to be operational by April 30, 2026. Robledo describes the purchase as the largest single acquisition of high-technology medical equipment carried out by IMSS in recent years.

“We are renewing equipment and improving diagnostics and treatments through a new procurement model that is more efficient, transparent, and resource-saving,” says Robledo.

The acquisition includes 67 mammography units, 42 CT scanners, 12 MRI systems, and two pediatric biplane angiography systems. According to IMSS, the modernization will help reduce waiting times and strengthen the institution’s capacity to deliver timely diagnoses, particularly in specialties such as oncology, cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, and pediatric neurointervention.

Robledo says the procurement process involved direct purchases from manufacturers, a mechanism that had not been used by IMSS for an extended period. The institution conducted what it described as a competitive strategic dialogue, followed by the selection of high-end, latest-generation systems and a subsequent discount bidding phase. The process resulted in a reduction from the initial budget registered with the Ministry of Finance, he adds. While the original allocation was MX$3.2 billion (US$157.7 million), the final investment reached MX$1.7 billion (US$87.4 million), representing savings of about  MX$1.4 billion (US$70 million), or 45% of the projected resources.

IMSS is also evaluating, in coordination with the Ministry of Anti-Corruption and Good Governance, whether other public institutions could join the same purchasing conditions. The contract covers delivery, installation, site adaptations, and staff training, all to be completed by April.

Robledo says the investment is part of a broader effort to modernize operating hospitals alongside ongoing infrastructure expansion. Since 2019, IMSS has increased funding for the renewal of medical infrastructure, supported by recent reforms to the Public Procurement Law, to strengthen diagnostic and treatment capabilities.

The 67 mammography systems, manufactured by Italy-based IMS Giotto, include digital, stereotactic, and tomosynthesis capabilities. They will be installed in 27 Family Medicine Units and 40 hospitals in 21 states to support early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Of these units, 30 are digital, three include stereotaxy, and 34 combine stereotaxy with tomosynthesis, enabling more precise imaging and detailed lesion characterization.

The 42 CT scanners come from GE HealthCare and Fujifilm. Forty-one systems are 256-slice scanners designed for high-precision studies in cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, and oncology. These will be installed in 40 hospitals across 19 states. The remaining 64-slice scanner will be located at the High Specialty Medical Unit (UMAE) Magdalena de las Salinas, where it will support the identification of tumors, fractures, internal hemorrhages, and organ injuries.

IMSS also acquired 12 MRI systems from Philips, manufactured in the Netherlands. Six 1.5-Tesla Ingenia Ambition X units will be installed in hospitals in Tijuana, Tlajomulco, Tecamac, Metepec, Charo, and Torreon. Six 3.0-Tesla Ingenia Elition X systems will be placed in high-specialty hospitals at National Medical Centers La Raza, Siglo XXI, Monterrey, and Obregon, as well as a medical unit in Reynosa. These systems will support detailed brain imaging, advanced cardiac function studies, musculoskeletal analysis, and tumor characterization.

The two pediatric biplane angiography systems, produced by Canon, will be installed at the Cardiology Hospital in Monterrey and the Pediatrics Hospital at the Siglo XXI National Medical Center. IMSS says these systems will strengthen pediatric neurointervention and interventional cardiology for congenital heart disease, arteriovenous malformations, aneurysms, and complex congenital conditions.

IMSS officials frame the initiative as part of a strategy to update equipment that has exceeded its service life, while improving diagnostic services for millions of beneficiaries across the public health system. “The IMSS is innovating to guarantee high-specialty health as a universal right, not a luxury, through the acquisition of more advanced and better quality medical equipment,” says Robledo.

In parallel with the upgrade of diagnostic technology, IMSS has also focused on strengthening its logistics and supply chain operations. Robledo says that the IMSS recently concluded a nationwide forklift replacement program aimed at reinforcing operational capacity and ensuring the timely distribution of medical supplies. The program involved the full replacement of 178 forklifts across the country through an investment of nearly MX$300 million (US$15 million). Robledo says that these vehicles are essential for handling medicines, medical materials, and other health inputs in warehouses, where they are used to place supplies on shelves and load them onto distribution vehicles serving first-, second-, and third-level medical units, as well as IMSS childcare centers.

The renewal was carried out in three phases: 56 units were replaced in 2022; 80 forklifts were delivered in 2024 to state-level representations and High Specialty Medical Units (UMAE); and 42 additional units were incorporated in 2025 for central-level warehouses, including those operating at the new IMSS warehouse in southern Mexico City. At that facility alone, more than 25 tons of medical supplies and medicines are mobilized daily.

Robledo says that although such equipment is less visible than ambulances or medical devices, it plays a central role in maintaining supply continuity. He adds that all newly acquired forklifts are electric, high-capacity units manufactured in the United States, and form part of a broader effort to modernize operational infrastructure alongside clinical services.

“The strengthening of medical infrastructure returns to the center of the public agenda,” says Robledo.