The General Hospital of Mexico (Hospital General de México, HGM) is a

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, operated by the Secretariat of Health, the federal government department in charge of all social health services in Mexico.

History

Towards the end of the 19th century, Dr.

Eduardo Liceaga Eduardo Liceaga (1839–1920) was a Mexican physician known as the "most distinguished hygienist of late-nineteenth century Mexico". He was involved in the establishment of the General Hospital of Mexico. Early life and education Liceaga was bor ...

proposed the construction of a new hospital to fulfill the sanitary needs of the city. The General Hospital began its construction in 1896, with a total budget for the project of four million eight thousand pesos, and was inaugurated on February 5, 1905, by president Gral. Porfirio Díaz. At the time of its opening, there were 600 beds in 18 pavilions and four basic specialities. Around the 1920s and 1930s there was a big medical and scientific development at the hospital, where several branches of medicine developed new resources and procedures for patient care. Dr. Aquilino Villanueva in the Urology Unit, Dr. Ignacio Chavez in the Cardiology Unit, Dr. Abraham Ayala Gonzalez in the Gastroenterology Unit, among others, strengthened the Institution and contributed with the formation of new physicians. The General Hospital was the seedbed of some of the most important Mexican health institutions, like the National Institutes of Cardiology, Nutrition, Oncology and Respiratory Infections.

1985 Mexico City earthquake

The

1985 Mexico City earthquake The 1985 Mexico City earthquake struck in the early morning of 19 September at 07:17:50 (CST) with a moment magnitude of 8.0 and a maximal Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''). The event caused serious damage to the Greater Mexico City area a ...

damaged the Gynaecology Unit, and the Medical Residence tower was completely destroyed. More than 295 people died, including patients, residents, and medical staff.

Breakthroughs

Researchers from the hospital found that classical music composed by

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

had a positive effect on heart disease. The hospital is a leader in developing pharmaceutical guidelines for the country. The Hospital General Metro station serves the hospital.

References

External links

General Hospital of Mexico
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Hospitals in Mexico City Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City Hospital buildings completed in 1905 1905 establishments in Mexico {{NorthAm-hospital-stub