SPECIAL ARTICLE

Abstract

WHEN the Hospital Infantil was dedicated in Mexico City in April, 1943, we outlined its 3 main objectives: First: To give medical assistance to the sick child in the most efficient manner, according to our best pediatric knowledge. Second: To disseminate pediatric information among physicians, medical students and nurses, in the broadest sense. Third: To encourage pediatric research, keeping in mind that we live in a country of limited economic resources and still undergoing development. Twelve years have passed. The first objective, medical service to the public was accomplished rapidly. The 575 beds of the Hospital were filled by October, 1943. The second goal was reached in 1945 with the introduction of courses in pediatrics for medical graduates, students and nurses. At present, our teaching capacity is at the maximum. Work on the third objective, pediatric research, could not be started until 8 years after the first 2 goals had been attained because of a number of obstacles. The most important was the lack of funds, since the entire income of the Hospital was needed to provide medical service to the public and to support the teaching program. Another important factor for delaying the research program was the lack of experience of our medical personnel in research technics. Some early attempts were made to conduct research projects. Young workers sought to do "pure research" while other workers wished to investigate subjects already under study by better organized and more richly endowed foreign laboratories. These attempts did not conform to the principle laid down for all research work in the Hospital Infantil.