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EDITORIALS

Received: October 26^th 2014

Accepted: March 6^th 2015

Hospital de Especialidades “Dr. Antonio Fraga Mouret”, Centro Médico Nacional La Raza from Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social

Antonio Fraga-Mouret^a

^aDirección de Educación e Investigación de la Secretaría de Salud del Distrito Federal

Communication with: Antonio Fraga-Mouret

Telephone: (55) 5255 2700

Email: antonio.fraga@cablevisión.net.mx

La Raza Hospital, opened in early 1954, this hospital emerged as a symbol of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Twenty years later, the Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico La Raza is built on adjacent land as a new building and inaugurated as a symbol of the institutional specialized care.

Keywords: History of medicine, Health policy, Planning and management, Mexico

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On April 20, 1979, the Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico La Raza (HECMR) was inaugurated by the then President of the Republic, Lic. Jose Lopez Portillo, and the Director General, Lic. Arsenio Farell Cubillas, thus initiating its care, education, and research activities for the benefit of the institution’s enrollees.

The inauguration of HECMR was the final event of a story that, from its inception, was intent solely on this accomplishment. The birth of this hospital was generated from the idea of Dr. Luis Castelazo Ayala, then Deputy General Physician, who with his team recognized the need for a highly specialized hospital in the urban and metropolitan area with the highest density of industries, and thus of enrolled patients, which is the northern part of our city.

Certainly a General Hospital already existed at La Raza, the Hospital de Gineco-Obstetricia 3, and that of Infectología, but the Hospital de Alta Especialidad and the Banco de Sangre were needed to complete and consolidate the Centro Médico La Raza.    

There were several factors for the 35 medical areas and 22 specialty courses to be developed quickly, achieving excellence in a period of no more than two years. Factors that promoted the success of the Hospital de Especialidades were: first, the unconditional support of the Directorate General and Assistant Medical Director of the Institute; second, the administrative area was dedicated to serving the needs of physicians and patients. Undoubtedly the acceptance of the authorities also had an influence, so that, for the first time, all positions of trust in the medical field, from management to the chief of service, were awarded by competitive examination. Those who won the positions participated in the joint development of the program and the priorities for the clinical, teaching, and research work of the new unit. It must be said that most of the headquarters were occupied by young, restless, and productive doctors loyal to the institution, with an average age no more than 40. Over the course of these seven decades, most of them are retired today or have moved past us on the path of life; therefore, new generations should feel a gratitude for those who were their teachers and peers.

In mid-November 1978, before the opening of the hospital, the director, assistant director, and two division chiefs had the opportunity to intervene in architectural changes that modified different areas of the hospital, for example: they provided an auditorium that did not exist in the initial project, as well as work areas for staff doctors of each service, and modifications made to the nursing areas in intensive care and coronary units, among others. This also was of great logistical benefit to patient care in the outpatient unit of the hospital.

In addition to this, the care work began with great quality and warmth, attributes that have been recognized during these 35 years of care for patients and families.

Another great success in "La Raza" was that before the hospital was six months old, the first kidney transplant took place with strict adherence to protocols, and they continued doing transplants that were at the forefront in our country and beyond, such as transplantations of bone marrow, pancreas, heart, and adrenal cells to the brain to treat Parkinson; and the implementation of an intensive project for the procurement of organs that remains paramount for the transplant program.

In parallel, the production of publications of all specialties began, which have highlighted this unit as an emblem of scientific productivity recognized nationally and internationally.

The medical staff, over these years of effort in care, teaching, and research, have been recognized by awards and presidencies of national and international societies, in the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores, the Academia Mexicana de Cirugía, and in the Academia Nacional de Medicina.

However, two tragic events tested the response capacity of the hospital staff: the explosion of San Juan Ixhuatepec, and the Mexico City earthquake on 19 September 1985. On both occasions patients previously admitted were discharged, and those affected by both tragedies were received, requiring the mobilization of more than 250 patients without any accident; they also received the entire staff of Hospital General del Centro Médico Nacional, who remained in our unit for up to one year.

After completing the first 15 years of service, on August 4, 1994 the HECMR received, by resolution of the Honorable Consejo Técnico del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, the name "Dr. Antonio Fraga Mouret".

It has been 35 years of constant, effective, and humane work that have kept the Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico La Raza a remarkable unit of this great institution that is the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social.

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