In 1936, during the presidency of General Lázaro Cárdenas, was founded under the name of Sanatorium for TB patients of Huipulco; since then, we began our vocation education to train the first generations of Tisiólogos the country, with the support of outstanding teachers, from a humanitarian point of view, designed to medicine closely linked with the Society and Culture.

Given the role of medical personnel that integrated the hospital, the progress of activities and academic care of it led to that in the year 1959 changed its name to Hospital for Lung Diseases of Huipulco, extending its coverage to patients with other lung diseases And initiating the formation of the first generations of Specialists in Medicine. The successful performance of mandated activities has opened the possibility to generate new knowledge so that in 1975, carried out the transition of Lung Diseases Hospital for Huipulco by the National Institute of Lung Diseases, adding to the tasks of medical care and the teaching of scientific research.

Until 1982 the Institute worked as a decentralized unit of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and in accordance with the Presidential decree issued on January 14 of that year, establishing the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, as agency of the Federal Government, with legal personality and heritage own.

The creation of the Institute was due to the interest that the agency would be responsible for conducting basic research, applied research, teaching, providing technical advice to medical units and provide medical care for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of respiratory diseases under axes guiding direct the actions that are performed in the INER and that are based on its Mission, Vision and Goals.