| VIEW FROM THE TOP
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW ZOÉ ROBLEDO Director General of IMSS
12
Q: What are IMSS’ priorities in terms of health and healthcare?
to guarantee real health rights for all. To achieve this, we
A: Our main goals are to efficiently and effectively implement
will implement actions to increase affiliation and collection
expenditure, achieve better collection, fight corruption and
in proportion to the economically active population.
move toward universalizing medical services in Mexico together with other health institutions. The objective is that
Q: What problems will be solved through the “Agreement
nobody is left without the opportunity to exercise their right
to strengthen access to justice and social security for
to health. From IMSS’ side, we want medical units to operate
workers or their beneficiaries,” signed by STPS and IMSS?
at their maximum capacity for all levels of care, every day of
A: This agreement will allow joint reviews between the STPS
the week and on both shifts. This will allow us to grow our
and IMSS, so IMSS can access more information regarding
patient capacity without the need to build new medical units.
the relationship between workers and their employers.
Technology will be key in increasing access to healthcare.
In case of omitted information, IMSS will analyze the
IMSS will also launch a telephone medical consultation
company’s processes to determine the correct classification
service, home care and telemedicine. These elements will
for occupational risk insurance and the correct fees derived
be used to expand access to health facilities as they reduce
from it. We want to identify aggressive outsourcing
the need for visits and bed use by up to 20 percent.
schemes that under-declare salaries and thereby affect the contribution base. Finally, we want to have more reliable
IMSS’ directors are also visiting IMSS-Welfare’s rural hospitals
information regarding work-related accidents and other
with President López Obrador. These hospitals provide
useful statistical data.
primary and secondary-level medical care to the population without social security. Employing a preventive approach and
Q: What are IMSS’ major achievements to this day?
a comprehensive healthcare model based on medical care
A: Among the most important achievements is the significant
and community action will allow more than 13 million people
reduction in the mortality rate of women due to pregnancy
from remote communities in the country to receive treatment.
and the 50 percent reduction in the risk of death for children due to infectious diseases. We have also moved forward
Q: What are your main objectives as head of IMSS for the
with population changes. In recent years, services have
next six years?
been adapted to new conditions characterized by an aging
A: Historically, IMSS has always supported Mexico’s
population. PrevenIMSS was created to promote health and
population and we are proud to do our part, strengthening
timely detection of chronic diseases. However, we continue to
what works and has worked and returning to the institute’s
address other health matters at the same time. We improved
founding principle of social security. We want to guarantee
our primary healthcare model and reduced mortality due
that employees have access to quality health facilities,
to cervical-uterine and breast cancer. Vaccination has also
identifying areas of opportunity and evolving to face the
improved and we are seeing better results in reducing the
new realities transforming the country’s health landscape.
risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases.
We will promote a more inclusive IMSS and work every day with a very clear idea: guarantee medical care for all
In the area of transplants, we are the leading public
Mexicans. We must move from the idea of rights on paper
institution. IMSS’ transplant productivity grew by 97.5 percent over the past decade, from 1,728 transplants in 2008 to 3,412 in 2018. This has been possible thanks to the training
The Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) is Mexico’s
of specialists through agreements with several hospitals
leading healthcare and social protection institution. It was
abroad, including Claude Bernard University in Lyon, the
founded in 1943 and combines research and medical practice,
Vall d’Hebrón Hospital in Barcelona, La Paz University
with the administration of social security and pensions
Hospital in Madrid and the Tokyo Pediatric Hospital.
