THE REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF DOCTORS IN MEXICO, 1930-1990 - A POLICY ASSESSMENT

The results of the doctor distributional policy in Mexico is evaluated . Despite the government's efforts to achieve a better distribution of doctors throughout the country between 1930 and 1990, important dispa rities still exist among geographic areas. Diverse factors ranging fro m the underdevelopment of some areas: to the resistance of doctors to leave the urban areas, are related to this unequal distribution. Early programmes aimed at redressing the original distribution in the 1930' s had limited effects. In subsequent years, additional programmes were implemented. However, a lack of coordination and the short time span of many programmes produced only minor changes to the distributional p attern. Although in recent years the distribution has improved, southe rn stales still suffer an acute scarcity while northern states have a relative abundance. Finally, the paper discusses how economic, politic al and social variables, as well as the structure of the health system , have shaped the current distribution of Mexican doctors. Copyright ( C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.