O’Horán Hospital Begins Free Services Under IMSS-Bienestar

ByLuis A. Boffil Gómez

This article by Luis A. Boffil Gómez originally appeared in the May 19, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Mérida, Yucatan. Patients at the Dr. Agustín O’Horán General Hospital, recently inaugurated by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo in this capital city, began receiving free medical care this Tuesday under the new IMSS-Bienestar scheme, aimed at guaranteeing completely free health services for the population without social security.

The start of this care is part of the public health model promoted by the Government of Mexico and the State Government, with the objective of expanding access to consultations, procedures, treatments, medicines and specialized medical services, without the economic situation of families being a barrier.

One of the beneficiaries of the new IMSS-Bienestar scheme in Yucatán is Reyna del Rosario Canché Oy, originally from the Mayan municipality of Tetiz and mother of one of the patients treated for childbirth, who expressed her gratitude after her relative received medical attention free of charge.

“It’s great that they are giving us this benefit because we don’t have social security and, being of limited means, this is a great help, not only for us, but for people who come from other municipalities,” he said.

Francisco Vidal López Briceño, who traveled from the municipality of Peto, in the south of the state, also shared that his wife received comprehensive childbirth care during the birth of her baby, which represented important support for his family.

For his part, Candelario Dzul Canché, originally from the municipality of Tizimín, reported that his wife required comprehensive specialized care since last Friday, including the performance of an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedure to address a condition caused by gallstones.

With the incorporation of Yucatán into IMSS-Bienestar, the state is moving towards a free and universal medical care scheme, aimed primarily at people who do not have social security.

This model seeks to strengthen the public health network, improve access to specialized medical services, and ensure that families receive care without direct charges for the services provided.

Last Sunday, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, accompanied by the Governor of Yucatán, Joaquín Díaz Mena, inaugurated the “Dr. Agustín O’Horán” General Hospital, considered by federal authorities to be the largest in southeastern Mexico and Central America, which will provide medical care to 1.2 million people without social security. With its opening, Yucatán became the 24th state to join the IMSS-Bienestar system.

In his remarks, the Director General of IMSS Bienestar, Alejandro Svarch Pérez, pointed out that the investment in the “Dr. Agustín O’Horán” General Hospital exceeds 5 billion pesos, has the capacity to perform 1,400 surgeries per month and more than 1,000 consultations per day; it has 43 specialties, more than 650 beds and 16 operating rooms; in addition, it will allow for the regularization of 2,500 health workers, the creation of 3,000 new positions and the incorporation of 1,500 specialists.

Governor Díaz Mena, in turn, celebrated this new stage of incorporation into the IMSS-Bienestar system and assured that the free health services will allow progress towards the goal of making 2026 the year of health in Yucatán.