Federal Court Orders IMSS to Treat Cancer Patient After Denial of Care in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A federal court has ordered the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) to provide cancer treatment and medication to a patient who was denied services at its regional hospital in Playa del Carmen.

Blanca Argel N. filed a constitutional amparo on April 19, 2026, after the Hospital Regional de Zona No. 18 allegedly refused to supply the drug Pazopanib and perform CT scans of her skull and lungs — tests that had been prescribed by an IMSS doctor.

The Seventh District Court ruled in her favor in amparo case 361/2026, finding evidence that the hospital’s general director was responsible for the denial. According to the ruling, the hospital’s own Surgical Oncology department had requested the scans and the prescription as part of the patient’s kidney cancer treatment.

The IMSS argued that the hospital lacked a CT scanner at the time. But the court noted that the treatment and tests had been ordered on March 18, 2026, and the hospital had not effectively acted on them.

The court dismissed the case against the IMSS subdelegate, stating that direct medical services are not within his duties. However, it held the hospital director liable and ordered the institution to provide the required medical care and medication, citing Article 4 of the Mexican Constitution, which guarantees the right to health protection.