Mexico to Strengthen Health Workforce Competencies

The General Health Council, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, formalized the creation of the Committee for Competency Management in Quality and Regulation in Health Care. The new body aims to strengthen training, evaluation, and development standards for healthcare personnel across Mexico’s health system.

While Mexico’s medical schools graduate thousands every year, the country does not have enough doctors to meet the needs of its population. This shortage of skilled healthcare professionals leads to longer wait times, delayed treatments, and higher costs, eventually overburdening systems. Filling the gap in medical professionals thus requires a new approach. 

The committee represents a strategic step toward the professionalization of human resources in health. It will focus on designing competency standards, evaluation tools, and mechanisms that align professional training with the actual needs of medical care and patient safety.

“Talent remains the cornerstone, and we must ensure tools are used ethically to develop better healthcare professionals,” says Héctor Orellana, Vice President for North Latin America, Medtronic. 

The committee brings together representatives from key public, private, and academic institutions, including the General Health Council, the General Directorate of Quality and Health Education, COFEPRIS, the Ministry of National Defense, IMSS Bienestar, and the Mexican Hospital Consortium. Academic institutions such as the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and the Health Sciences Center of the Universidad de Guadalajara will also participate.

By adopting the framework of the National Competency System, the health sector seeks to ensure that personnel possess the technical, ethical, and regulatory skills required to perform critical functions safely and effectively. This approach supports the standardization of roles across the system, strengthens clinical and administrative processes, and promotes measurable performance and continuous improvement.

The certification of healthcare competencies is expected to become a driver for institutional accreditation, reinforcing patient safety and operational efficiency. The initiative reflects a broader strategy to align workforce preparation with national health priorities and to enhance quality through professional development.

During the event, Patricia Clark, Secretary, General Health Council, invited Laura Cortés, Director General of Quality and Health Education, General Health Council, to assume the committee’s vice presidency. Together, they will lead its technical and operational coordination, promoting collaborative and interinstitutional actions to advance workforce competency development.

The committee will operate under the guidelines of the National Competency System, in close collaboration with CONOCER, the federal body responsible for coordinating that system. This joint effort will enable the development of professional standards aligned with the sector’s core functions and contribute to a more efficient, quality-driven healthcare system.