Medical Tourism in Mexico

By Sigrid Salucop


Feared because of its cartels but visited by those who can’t fight the allure of its beautiful beaches and old Spanish towns, Mexico is a prime holiday destination. Despite reports on TV of rather grisly drug wars, there are still places in Mexico where it is relatively safe to travel to and this includes the colonial city Merida, Mexico City the capital, Todos Santos, San Miguel de Allende, Huatulco, Playa del Carmen, Guanajuato, and Puebla.

Medical tourism in Mexico is at its peak, according to analyst. The number of private hospitals in the country is growing rapidly thanks to the boom in the medical tourism industry in North America. A number of reasons fuel this growth and this includes the number of medical tourists who flock to the said country year after year seeking medical treatment at reasonable rates, an increasing middle class population seeking healthcare from private hospitals and of course, the growing Mexican population.

Mexico’s medical offerings include cosmetic surgery, weight loss surgery, dental work, as well as orthopedic treatments and heart surgery.

Mexico is a favorite destination among Canadians and Americans since it is very near and those who live near the border can easily get dental implants in Mexican hospitals. Others avail of Mexico’s very affordable weight loss surgery.

If you are planning to go to Mexico, it may be time to practice a bit of Spanish. The doctors and hospital staff are usually comfortable in speaking in English though but once you are out of the hospital and would like to talk to locals, you may have to learn a phrase or two. Habla ingles for ingles for example is a good start for you to know whether they speak English or not. Getting a Spanish – English dictionary is also a good idea.

The rates for medical treatment in the country are only a fraction of US rates. 

Photo via Mexico-Travel.com