North American Tariffs Talks / Hospital Construction

North American Talks Amid Tariffs. President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that after speaking with US President Donald Trump, both governments will form work groups to improve security and establish an area without drugs and violence. The United States will investigate the entry of high-powered weapons into Mexico, while Mexico will assign 10,000 National Guard personnel to monitor customs to prevent fentanyl smuggling and strengthen regional security. Sheinbaum added that the agreement, which suspends the 25% tariff, will benefit Mexico by enhancing security in key northern states. 

In response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement that Mexican cartels would be classified as terrorist groups under new commitments with the United States, the president argued that such a designation would not address the fentanyl crisis and emphasized the need for joint national efforts that respect sovereignty.

IMSS Hospitals. Several hospitals and medical units will soon be inaugurated across Mexico, said Zóe Robledo, Director, Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). The projects include general hospitals, maternity and child care centers, and family medicine units, with different capacities and operational timelines.

The major hospitals to be inaugurated include the General Regional Hospital in Ensenada, Baja California, which is set to begin operations in March 2025, with 31 beds, 40 consultation rooms, and two operating rooms. In Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, the new General Zone Hospital No. 13 is expected to open in June 2025, providing 144 beds, 62 consultation rooms, and five operating rooms. Puebla’s San Alejandro General Zone Hospital, scheduled for July 2025, will offer 180 beds, 37 consultation rooms, and six operating rooms. Mexico City’s General Zone Hospital No. 25, under construction since December 2022, is planned for inauguration in August 2025, featuring 180 beds, 40 consultation rooms, and six operating rooms, with 53 specialists across 36 specialties.

Other hospitals include the General Zone Hospital in Ticul, Yucatan, set to open in August 2025 with 70 beds, 18 consultation rooms, and four operating rooms, staffed by 192 specialists across 11 specialties. In Guanajuato, Guanajuato, a hospital that began construction in December 2023 will start operations in September 2025 with 72 beds, 29 consultation rooms, and three operating rooms, with 153 specialists across 22 specialties. The Maternal and Child Hospital in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, set for completion in October 2025, will have 38 beds, 11 consultation rooms, and three operating rooms, with 138 specialists across 12 specialties.

In Navojoa, Sonora, a General Zone Hospital that began construction in July 2023 will open in September 2025, featuring 90 beds, 14 consultation rooms, and three operating rooms, staffed by 225 specialists across 29 specialties. The General Zone Hospital in Tula, Hidalgo, under construction since December 2022, is planned for inauguration in November 2025, with 144 beds, 37 consultation rooms, and four operating rooms, staffed by 117 specialists across 32 specialties.

Additionally, several family medicine units are nearing completion. The Torreon-La Joya unit in Coahuila, under construction since 2018, opened in January 2025 with 10 family medicine consultation rooms, five for specialist nurses, and a staff of 33. A unit in Pitiquito Puerto Libertad, Sonora, under construction since 2019, will start operations in February 2025, with two family medicine consultation rooms and 20 workers. The Ecatepec unit in the State of Mexico, under construction since February 2023, will open in March 2025 with 34 family medicine consultation rooms and five for specialist nurses.

Other family medicine units include the Francisco de Montejo unit in Merida, Yucatan, expected to open in June 2025; the Santa Barbara unit in Coahuila, scheduled for September 2025; and the Juarez unit in Nuevo Leon, under construction since August 2022 and planned for completion in December 2025, with 10 family medicine consultation rooms, five for specialist nurses, and 210 workers.

ISSSTE Hospitals. Martí Batres, Director, ISSSTE, announced the opening of new units, with completion expected by the end of 2025. In Pachuca, the new Family Medicine Clinic of Specialties will include 20 consultation rooms, diagnostic imaging with X-rays, a clinical analysis laboratory, and a computed tomography scanner. 

The Regional Hospitals in Torreon and Acapulco each will offer 250 beds, 35 specialty consultation rooms, a blood bank, six ambulances, and a helipad, with Torreon additionally featuring an intensive care unit. In Tampico, the new General Hospital will provide 140 beds, 43 specialty consultation rooms, a blood bank, and five operating rooms. In Tlajomulco, Jalisco, the Regional Hospital will offer 250 beds, 35 specialty consultation rooms, a blood bank, six ambulances, eight operating rooms, and a helipad.