Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has unveiled a major investment plan of 21 billion pesos (approximately $1.05 billion USD) aimed at bolstering Mexico’s public healthcare system through the IMSS-Bienestar program. The initiative, which provides free, universal, and high-quality medical services to people without social security, will roll out between 2025 and 2027, with some actions beginning later this year.

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During the final stop of her third national health tour in Zacatecas, Sheinbaum stated that her administration identified the urgent need for 3,300 new medical devices, and the hiring of 1,000 medical specialists and 1,900 nurses to address current service gaps.

“We’re talking about a necessary investment of nearly 21 billion pesos,” Sheinbaum said. “Part of it will go to immediate needs starting in 2025, with more to follow in 2026 and the final phase in 2027. The goal is a fully functioning IMSS-Bienestar system.”

In Zacatecas alone, Sheinbaum announced an initial investment of 621 million pesos (about $31 million USD) to upgrade 209 pieces of equipment across 17 hospitals and 29 operating rooms. An additional 1.1 billion pesos ($55 million USD) will go toward building new hospitals, including a general hospital in Jalpa and the replacement of three community hospitals.

“We’ll start purchasing equipment this year—everything from patient monitors to advanced technology like linear accelerators for cancer treatment,” she added.

Sheinbaum also reaffirmed her administration’s vision of creating a unified national health system, where any citizen can receive care through IMSS, ISSSTE, or IMSS-Bienestar, regardless of their affiliation.

Alejandro Svarch, director general of IMSS-Bienestar, highlighted that the plan marks the largest investment in public healthcare for uninsured populations in the country’s history.

He outlined that 17 billion pesos (around $850 million USD) will be directed toward infrastructure, with more than 3.3 billion pesos (about $165 million USD) allocated for medical equipment over the next three years.

Sheinbaum also emphasized the importance of digitalizing the healthcare system to enable real-time access to patient records and medications, aiming to improve efficiency and transparency across the board.

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