IMSS Unveils Healthcare Expansion for Eastern State of Mexico

President Claudia Sheinbaum is launching a comprehensive federal program to address long-standing urban poverty in the eastern State of Mexico. IMSS will invest MX$12.4 billion (US$620 million) over the next three years to build and upgrade hospitals, medical units, childcare centers, and dialysis facilities across 10 municipalities.

During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum announced the Programa Integral para el Oriente del Estado de México (Comprehensive Program for the Eastern Region of the State of Mexico), a cross-government initiative that aims to address long-standing social and infrastructure deficits in one of the nation’s most populous and underserved urban regions.

The region, which includes 10 municipalities and is home to about 10 million people, has historically experienced rapid population growth without equivalent investment in public services. “This is a historical debt that the country owes to these municipalities,” states Sheinbaum. 

A core pillar of the plan is healthcare. The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) will carry out 28 infrastructure and service-related actions over the next three years, explains Zoé Robledo, Director General, IMSS. These measures are expected to benefit around 5 million IMSS beneficiaries.

Healthcare investments include the construction and rehabilitation of four hospitals. These are the new General Hospitals in Chimalhuacan and Nezahualcoyotl, and the recovery of two previously abandoned facilities from the Seguro Popular program: the Pediatric Oncology Hospital in Ecatepec and the General Hospital of Subzone in Chicoloapan.

Additionally, six new Family Medicine Units (UMFs) will be established. This includes replacing the existing UMF 93 in Cerro Gordo, Ecatepec, and building five new UMF Plus centers offering expanded services such as X-rays in Ixtapaluca, Valle de Chalco, Tlalnepantla, Chalco, and Texcoco.

The plan also introduces a new model for childcare with the construction of 10 Early Childhood Education and Care Centers (CENDIs), replacing traditional IMSS-run daycares. These will operate under a new management model that centralizes operations.

Other health-related actions include the installation of eight hemodialysis centers across six municipalities and a separate MX$436 million (US$21.8 million) budget for the maintenance and equipment of the 10 existing hospitals in the area.