Following allegations of sexual assault by resident doctors at the Children's Hospital of Tamaulipas, the Secretariat for Women and IMSS Bienestar announced the creation of a specialized area for women to freely report any type of violence, harassment, or abuse in medical units.
The head of the Secretariat for Women, Citlalli Hernández, reported on her X account that she and Undersecretary Ingrid Gómez Saracibar have been in contact with the resident doctors, IMSS Bienestar, and state authorities to coordinate actions that will ensure “zero impunity” for the events reported in Tamaulipas.
The official added that, following the instructions of President Claudia Sheinbaum, immediate preventive measures will be taken: “Immediate and preventive actions must be taken, which is why we will create, together with IMSS Bienestar, an area where women doctors can freely report any type of violence.”
In its statement, IMSS Bienestar detailed that the new “Safe Care Area for Women” will allow for receiving complaints and providing immediate accompaniment, with the objective of guaranteeing that any woman who works or receives care in a health unit can report with confidence and without fear of reprisals.
Among the main functions of this area are: enabling confidential complaint channels in person, by phone, and digitally; providing comprehensive accompaniment to victims, including legal guidance, psychological support, medical attention, and coordination with prosecutorial authorities; activating protection protocols against reprisals; coordinating investigations with competent authorities and internal control bodies; and promoting actions for prevention, training, and awareness-raising to strengthen safe environments within medical units.
The institution stated that the mechanism is based on a clear principle: “No woman should feel alone or unprotected within a public health institution. Hospitals and health centers must be safe spaces for both those who receive care and those who work in them.”
Furthermore, it assured that it has a zero-tolerance policy for gender-based violence and guaranteed that all complaints will be addressed with seriousness, confidentiality, and without allowing reprisals.
In a previous statement, IMSS Bienestar reported changes in the leadership of the Children's Hospital of Tamaulipas. Dr. Judith Cornejo Barrera, a specialist in pediatric nephrology, assumed the direction of the medical center. She specified that the investigation corresponds to the Attorney General's Office of the State of Tamaulipas, with which she said she is willing to collaborate.
