The Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) described part of its strategy and results in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic as part of a comprehensive report on its performance.
Regarding the health infrastructure, as of December 31, 2020, the IMSS had 216 reconverted medical units with 16,531 beds for Covid-19 (15,971 for general hospitalization and 560 in Intensive Care Units) to meet the fluctuating demand for services doctors and hospitals related to the pandemic.
In addition, the Institute reinforced its workforce by adding 5,229 contracts with medical personnel, 16,470 for Nursing and 13,091 for support to the pandemic.
At the same time, the IMSS indicated that it implemented a series of measures for the early detection of Covid-19.
One of them is the creation of the Social Security Respiratory Care Modules (MARSS), where antigen tests and PCR tests have been applied, which made it possible to diagnose people with Covid-19 in advance.
Among other measures, strategies were implemented to support institutional personnel who have provided care during the pandemic.
At the beginning of the health emergency, the Technical Council (HCT) of the Mexican Social Security Institute approved the payment of the stimulus called COVID Bonus to the personnel who directly or indirectly care for patients diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
At the end of 2020, the granting of this stimulus represented an extraordinary expense of 2,948.7 million pesos.
IMSS
Various recognitions were also awarded, including the Miguel Hidalgo decoration, which is the highest distinction awarded for services rendered to the Homeland.
Regarding the support provided to the population, in addition to medical services, the Institute collaborated in the development of the Credits to the Word plan, which consisted of providing monetary aid for 25,000 pesos by the Ministry of Economy to the companies that verified that they did not cut their staff and that they have provided protection to their employees.
Likewise, for the beneficiaries who lost their source of work, the mechanism of partial retirement due to unemployment of the Individual Retirement Savings Account was enabled, which has allowed to benefit 2.5 million people.
All this general strategy of attention to the Covid-19 pandemic would not have been possible without the efforts of coordination with the Decentralized Administrative Operation Bodies (OOAD), the Health Sector as a whole, the state governments and the Federal Government.
Within the general care of the pandemic, the IMSS stated that coordination of such a level was achieved that it has allowed the signing of different agreements with institutions of the Health Sector and with various states of the Republic, such as the Framework Agreement for the Exchange and Care of Patients Serious with Covid-19.
As a result of the above, it was possible to provide care in the Institute’s facilities to people who are not beneficiaries.
