Alongside fellow governors and health sector officials, Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo at the National Palace to discuss the expansion and strengthening of the IMSS Bienestar healthcare model across the country.
The IMSS Bienestar program, administered by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), is designed to provide free, comprehensive healthcare to people who are not covered by other social security systems.
Governor Ávila Olmeda explained that the meeting served to review the progress of the system’s implementation in each state and to address the logistical, staffing, and infrastructure needs that accompany such a large-scale transformation.
“Healthcare must be a guaranteed right, not a privilege. Governing with honesty, conviction, and heart—as our president has demonstrated—is the path to achieving this,” she stated.
In Baja California, the IMSS Bienestar model has been reinforced through the modernization of medical facilities, increased hiring of healthcare professionals, and expanded coverage in rural and underserved urban areas.
During President Claudia Sheinbaum’s recent visit to Baja California, a 430-million-peso investment was announced for the IMSS Bienestar program, aimed at fully equipping operating rooms and reinforcing medical and nursing staff across the state’s public health network.
As part of this initiative, 39 operating rooms in public hospitals will undergo modernization. The investment also includes the creation of new, high-impact facilities: a hemodynamics room at Tijuana General Hospital to improve cardiac care, an intensive care unit at Mexicali’s Maternal and Children’s Hospital to better serve critical patients, and a linear accelerator at the Oncology Unit in Mexicali to expand advanced cancer treatment options.
In addition, 40 new medical specialty clinics will be established to address a wider range of patient needs, and 162 specialists have already been hired to strengthen services in hospitals and health centers operating under the IMSS Bienestar model in Baja California.
One example of this progress is the San Felipe Community Hospital, where more than 40 million pesos were invested to expand and modernize its facilities. Now incorporated into the IMSS Bienestar network, the hospital offers specialized care for families in this coastal community, which previously faced long travel times to access certain medical services.
In the southern region of Baja California, the state is also advancing the expansion and remodeling of IMSS Bienestar Rural Hospital No. 69 in San Quintín. Once completed, the upgraded facility will feature 60 beds and new specialties, including ophthalmology, otolaryngology, traumatology, and orthopedics. These additions are expected to significantly reduce the need for residents to seek treatment in distant cities, bringing comprehensive healthcare closer to home.
“We are aligned with President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo’s vision of social justice. In Baja California, we firmly embrace this commitment to build a dignified, free, and universal healthcare system where the people are always at the center of decisions,” Governor Marina del Pilar said.
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