[Primary health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico].

Abstract

Primary health care is the provision of comprehensive and accessible medical services provided by clinical health professionals. It plays an indispensable role in the health emergency, as it represents the first contact for many Mexicans with and without social security. Its work during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial as it forms the gateway to health systems. The contingency due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Mexico has only increased this inequality between those who have access to quality services and those who do not. Certain weaknesses are evident in the country, such as the saturation of hospitals, care times and the shortage of medicines. However, they have also highlighted strengths such as the vaccination strategy (being one of the first Latin American countries to implement the vaccine against COVID-19). On the other hand, the hospital reconversion that has made it possible to care for a greater number of patients, avoiding the saturation of hospitals. A resource that became relevant in pandemic times was technology. Doctors adapted to the needs of patients and through wireless communication, telemedicine was a resource used to provide health care remotely and thus prevent the risk of contagion. This manuscript represents an overview of the panorama in Mexico from the social perspective and the first level of care.