Resumen

Occupational medicine in Mexico: A brief history of its origin and development Introduction: Occupational medicine is a medical specialty unprecedented in Mexico until the beginning of the twentieth century, before the Mexican Revolution (1910) and, most after the armed period (1910-1920) and the institutionalized revolution (1921-1950). Mexico began to industrialize, to join the economies of emerging nations and developing health in the workplace: legal normativity of labor, academy, medical education and health care. Method: Heuristically, a bibliographical review of texts on medicine in Mexico, selected in accordance with seriousness and reputation of authors and books on occupational medicine. Hermeneutically, became a reflective-interpretive analysis that produced this paper. Results: The first medical-industrial incursions were established in mining regions of northwestern and central Mexico. In 1906-1907 there were labor movements and strikes and, after the Mexican Revolution, the first laws were enacted to protect workers, the Constitution of 1917 established labor rights and had trade unionism strengthened. In 1934-1943 regulations were stablished to promote occupational health and created the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Institute. During the 2nd half of the twentieth century Mexico came economically developed and integrated into GATT, OECD, WTO and NAFTA, multiplying sources of employment (notwithstanding the economic crisis), invigorating the standards of occupational health and establishing the specialty of occupational medicine. Discussion: Because of the period of civil and foreign wars, revolutions and economic gloom (1810-1867), only in the late nineteenth century was there social-political tranquility and order that led to Mexico’s economic development and opening of industries, neglecting the protection of rural and urban workers. Despite a few rudimentary rules of labor protection, it was not until the Mexican Revolution that laws were enacted to prevent occupational hazards, circumstances strengthened in the last two thirds of the twentieth century and first decade of this century, extending as Mexico has joined the global economic patterns and become a free and democratic country.

Palabras clave: History occupational medicine occupational risk social security.

2012-07-24   |   817 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 4 Núm.10. Enero 2012 Pags. 23-24 REMESAT 2012; 4(10)