ISSSTE healthcare expansion and supply management

The Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE) has undertaken efforts to expand healthcare infrastructure and stabilize medical supplies in Mexico.

In Hidalgo, the institution inaugurated two new medical clinics in Acaxochitlán and Zempoala. These facilities provide primary care and general assessments without appointments and are part of a larger federal strategy to establish 10 clinics in Hidalgo and 500 clinics nationwide under the Universal Health Service (SUS) initiative.

Simultaneously, ISSSTE reported reaching a 97 percent national supply level for medicines and medical supplies. Under Director General Martí Batres Guadarrama, the institution has strengthened supply chains through the National Distribution Center (CENADI-BIRMEX), which maintains a reserve of 91.1 million items to support 786 medical units across all 32 Mexican states.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced a comprehensive review of ISSSTE to improve benefits and services. While Sheinbaum defended the progress of the health system, characterizing criticisms as “brutal lies,” health experts and union leaders indicate that challenges remain. Economists have called for a 25 percent increase in resources to address infrastructure depreciation and rising patient volumes. Despite reported improvements in pharmacy services and the implementation of electronic prescriptions in states like Colima and Jalisco, some union representatives continue to report shortages in medicines, supplies, and adequate infrastructure in various regions.