title: Mexican hospitals.
abstract: In order to understand current medical and hospital care in Mexico, we need to know first their past and then compare that past to their present situation. We can attempt to glimpse into what their future should be. The evolution of Mexican health services from the time of the Spanish Conquest until the the post-revolutionary period involved the creation of hospitals for both the poor and the rich. This continues to be the present goal. Public and private medical institutions evolved in part along with the legal reforms that were enacted through the passage of the Reform Laws in 1937. The Public Assistance Secretariat was established, which was dedicated to assist hospitals, nurseries, asylums and orphanages. In 1943, this Public Assistance Secretariat joined with the Public Health Department, forming what today is the actual Secretary of Health. The formation of private social health care for major medical needs together with governmental Social Security Health Care brought about a radical improvement in medical and hospital care; however, it is insufficient, overpopulated and outdated. It will be necessary during the coming decades that other alternatives to the models of hospitals and medical care that exist today in Mexico be enacted. The present models have not been able to satisfy the medical and hospital demands for present-day needs of the population.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Regional de Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico. neuro_mloyov@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loyo-Varela
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Díaz-Chazaro
mesh_terms: D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000266:history*; D008800:Mexico