MÉRIDA, YUCATÁN — The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Yucatán has significantly upgraded its diagnostic capabilities with the installation of two high-end tomographs at its High Specialty Medical Unit (UMAE) in Mérida.
According to a report by Novedades Yucatán, the newly integrated scanners—deployed in the strategic Imaging and Emergency areas of the “Ignacio García Téllez” Hospital of Specialties—represent a major leap forward for second- and third-level medical care in southeastern Mexico. The state-of-the-art machinery aims to drastically cut down waiting times and minimize radiation exposure for social security beneficiaries.
Dr. Jorge Alberto Velázquez Gutiérrez, head of the UMAE Radiology and Imaging department, explained that the new model features an advanced 256-slice high-definition imaging capability. This allows for rapid, full-body scans ranging from cranial and thoracic assessments to complex cardiac angiographies. “Its versatility allows us to treat anyone from a one-day-old newborn to a 90-year-old adult, while tracking oncological conditions, congenital malformations, tumors, infections, and severe trauma,” Dr. Velázquez Gutiérrez stated.
A profound benefit of the technology is its speed, with individual studies now taking only 5 to 10 minutes. Operating simultaneously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the two scanners process 60 to 70 daily studies, drastically optimizing patient flow.
Beyond rapid diagnosis, the tomographs will serve as vital guides for interventionist medicine and orthopedics. Surgeons can now utilize detailed 3D reconstructions for orthopedic surgeries or use the scanners to navigate tumors and place catheters accurately without open surgery, shifting complex cases into routine outpatient procedures.
Dr. Roberto Betancourt Ortiz, director of the UMAE, emphasized that the robust tech consolidates the hospital as a key reference center for health in the region. The acquisition is part of a broader nationwide initiative involving 42 new tomographs distributed by IMSS.
TYT Newsroom
Original source: mx