On the first occupational medicine initiatives in Mexico: The Real del Monte miners’ hospital

Abstract

espanolA pesar de la legislacion de Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) sobre derechos de seguridad social formulada en 1883 en Alemania donde se senala que es deber del Estado promover el bienestar de todos los miembros de la sociedad, particularmente de los mas debiles y necesitados utilizando los medios con los que dispone, y las propuestas de leyes contra accidentes expedidas el 30 de abril de 1904 en el Estado de Mexico, en el Mexico del porfiriato no se considero brindar atencion medica formal a los trabajadores, salvo algunas empresas ferrocarrileras, no se construyeron hospitales para atender a pacientes con enfermedades laborales. Una de estas excepciones fue el Hospital del Mineral de Real del Monte de Pachuca, fundado a finales del siglo XIX y despues de que la Compania minera paso a los norteamericanos en 1906, se acordo que la empresa adquiriera el hospital y lo equipara con los adelantos medicos y quirurgicos de la epoca para la inmediata atencion de lesiones, en especial de tipo ortopedico, lo que permitio curar heridas y la rehabilitacion. Este nosocomio constituye uno de los antecedentes mas antiguos en Mexico en las tres disciplinas: ortopedia, medicina del trabajo y rehabilitacion. Dejo de funcionar en 1982 y actualmente es un museo con un rico acervo documental y de instrumental de las disciplinas mencionadas. EnglishDespite the legislation of Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) on social security rights formulated in 1883 in Germany where it is stated that it is the duty of the State to promote the welfare of all members of society, particularly the weakest and most needy, using the means available to them, and the proposals of laws against accidents issued on April 30, 1904 in the State of Mexico in 1904, in the Mexico of the Porfirio Diaz era, providing workers with formal medical care was not contemplated, except in the case of some railway companies, hospitals for the care of patients with occupational diseases were not built. One of these exceptions was the Hospital del Mineral del Real del Monte de Pachuca, founded in the late nineteenth century and after the mining company passed to the Americans in 1906, it was agreed that the company acquired the hospital and equated it with the medical and surgical advances of the time for immediate care of injuries, especially of the orthopedic type, which enabled not only the healing of wounds, but also rehabilitation. This hospital is one of the oldest in Mexico with regard to three disciplines: orthopedics, occupational medicine and rehabilitation. It ceased to operate in 1982, and currently it is a museum with a rich collection of documents and instruments related to the aforementioned disciplines.