JUAREZ, Mexico (Border Report) – More than 1.3 million Americans visited a doctor, a dentist, an optometrist or specialized medical care in Mexico last year.
That’s a big number but medical providers in Juarez want it to grow so they can get a bigger slice of the estimated $430 million in annual revenue it represents.
Lacking the abundance of plastic surgery and bariatric surgery clinics that cities like Tijuana boast, Juarez is focusing on promoting more conventional medical services and to go after potential customers not far from the border region.
“We, as a region, are blessed to have this kind of medical tourism. People have been crossing the border for 100 years,” said Antonio Suarez, president of the Juarez Medical Cluster association. “This year, you will see a very inclusive cluster (of providers) […] We are bringing together all (private) hospitals in Juarez to offer packages for all, be it they come from El Paso” or places in Mexico.
The organization is urging local medical providers to offer clients installment payment plans for surgeries and memberships with the lure of $20 doctor visits. They will float the idea during the upcoming Medical Tourism Congress on November 19-20 at the Cibeles Convention Center in Juarez.
The gathering is aimed at medical industry and tourism providers, but the exchange of information and ideas could benefit patients on both sides of the border.
“We want to offer El Paso and Juarez important health solutions. […] The idea is that we have a new influx, new patient traffic to Juarez hospitals,” Suarez said. “We are working with these hospitals to come up with affordable packages, affordable surgeries, surgeries on installments that anyone regardless of economic means can afford.”
The expected 300 participants, including Mexican government, officials will analyze the socioeconomic profile of medical tourists, as well as what persuaded them to cross the border, and what their fear and expectations are.
Juarez has a healthy medical and private hospital infrastructure, one that continues to grow year after year, said Juarez Tourism Director Francisco Moreno Villanueva.
The city is one of Mexico’s 10 largest, so it’s not unusual to see Mexican residents from other states come to seek specialized care here. That’s one of the reason the Medical Tourism Congress is inviting guests from other states in Mexico and even from Colombia, he said.
Some guests and presenters in the event aren’t even in the medical industry. They include hoteliers, restaurateurs and government officials pitching the idea of promoting Juarez as a medical tourism destination with quality safe hotels, good eateries and a variety of things to do while waiting for a surgery.
For more information on Juarez medical tourism resources, visit the Juarez Chamber of Commerce medical travel page.
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