Sheinbaum Launches New IMSS Hospital in Morelos

President Claudia Sheinbaum marked the beginning of construction for a new General Hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Yecapixtla, Morelos, which is part of a national effort to expand access to healthcare through public infrastructure.

The project involves an investment of MX$2.8 billion (US$140 million) and aims to strengthen the state's hospital capacity, which the federal government has identified as a priority.  “Ninety beds, 30 specialties, and over 1,400 jobs. A solid step toward a dignified and universal health system,” Margarita González, Governor of Morelos, writes on X. 

The new facility will cover specialties such as cardiology, nephrology, pediatrics, general surgery, pulmonology, and neurology. It will also feature units for hemodialysis and chemotherapy, a physical rehabilitation area, and an intensive care unit.

The hospital is expected to employ over 1,400 healthcare professionals and increase the number of medical specialists in the state from 1,150 to 1,450. The construction will be managed by the military engineering corps of the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA), which has also participated in other infrastructure projects under the current administration. The project is expected to generate 3,000 direct and 6,000 indirect jobs.

Sheinbaum says that the construction of new healthcare facilities forms part of her administration’s broader plan to build a universal public health system. This includes integration of services provided by IMSS, IMSS-Bienestar, and the State Workers’ Social Security and Services Institute (ISSSTE), so patients can receive care at the closest available unit regardless of their affiliation.

David Kershenobich, Mexico’s Minister of Health, says that building a new National Public Health System requires coordination across all levels of government. He points to prevention programs such as Vida Saludable (Healthy Lifestyle), which promotes healthy habits among schoolchildren, and Salud Casa por Casa (House-to-House Health Program), which focuses on prevention for older adults and people with disabilities.

The hospital is one of seven planned for construction across the country during this administration.