Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social

Mexican social security institute founded in 1943 and based in Mexico City, which insures formally employed workers and their families and runs its own health service, the largest in Latin America. Operates family medicine units, general and specialty hospitals and high specialty medical centres across the country, buys and distributes medicines and medical supplies through central procurement for tens of millions of members, runs its own research and teaching programmes and administers pensions and social benefits.