Mexico's Ministry of Health Expands Primary Care Network and Mandates Chronic Disease Protocols
Mexico's Ministry of Health has initiated a significant expansion of its public healthcare capacity by opening recruitment for 12,750 new IMSS-Bienestar primary care offices. This initiative, part of the Universal Health Service rollout, aims to launch these clinics by January 2027 and is projected to handle over 40 million annual consultations. The recruitment drive, which began on September 14 and concludes on October 31, seeks to staff these facilities with physicians and nurses, addressing a critical workforce gap. Concurrently, Mexico's General Health Council has mandated five National Medical Care Protocols for cardio-renal-metabolic conditions across all public institutions, effective August 25, 2026. These protocols cover chronic kidney disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, a cluster of diseases that accounts for 80% of the country's chronic non-communicable disease burden. Public institutions have been given 90 days to submit their implementation plans for these mandatory protocols. 
