Resumo

HOMEDES, Nuria  e  UGALDE, Antonio. Decentralization of health services: case studies in six Mexican states. Salud pública Méx [online]. 2011, vol.53, n.6, pp. 493-503. ISSN 0036-3634.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0036-36342011000600005.

OBJECTIVE: This article discusses the effects of the second decentralization of the Mexican Ministry of Health (1994-2000). MATERIAL AND METHODS: It is based on a review of official and archival documents, health and productivity statistics, observations in clinics and hospitals, and 232 in-depth interviews in the states of Baja California Sur, Colima, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, Sonora and Tamaulipas. The interviewees included high-level administrators of state and district health systems, leaders of workers unions, health providers and representatives of civil society. RESULTS: The article identifies the problems that offices of health at state level had to overcome to implement the decentralization. CONCLUSIONS: Descentralizacion failed to achieve the objectives stated by its promoters.

Palavras-chave : decentralization; health; reform; Mexico.