Medical tourism in Mexico, a new option for a surgery
Paying less for a surgery in Mexico ©Speaking Latino/Flick
Many Americans choose to make medical treatments outside the borders of the United States. Medical tourism includes many things from a relaxing spa treatment to a severe joint replacement. Many countries are trying to attract patients with money and they are doing necessary investments for this.
According to some investigations, five years ago were approximately 750 000 Americans in a year that left the country for medical treatments and they estimated that until the end of this year their number probably reached 900 000 a year. Medical tourism in Mexico is a new option for a surgery.
Reasons for the increasing medical tourism in Mexico
There are some reasons why medical tourism in Mexico is continuously increasing. Americans desire to make surgeries or need treatments that are not covered by their medical insurance. This could be a simple dental care problem, some prescription drugs that are way to expensive, cosmetic procedures that become more and more fashionable, weight-loss surgeries that many times are not covered by the insurance. Many people who need these treatments are in lack of money and they are looking for more reasonable prices. And the prices are truly better in Mexico. For example a hip replacement surgery in the United States costs with almost $30 000 more than in Mexico, and many other treatments have a double price in the U.S. than there. This saving surely worth taking a longer road to the hospital for many people and they will probably choose a surgery in Mexico.
Paying less for a surgery in Mexico ©Speaking Latino/Flick
Another reason for the increasing medical tourism in Mexico is the rising quality of the Mexican medical services. In Mexico are built many new hospitals, the health care infrastructure is getting better and better and they invest money in the proper training of care providers and technicians. There are many important hospitals that want to get international accreditation and many of them already got some of them. This means a high quality of service and hygiene. This means that American citizens can get the same standard of services they would get at home for much lower costs.
Modern hospital in Mexico ©gabofr/Flick
The needs created by the medical tourism in Mexico
Although the Mexican state and the investors of the Mexican hospitals already did many things to attract patients from abroad, there are still many things that must be done regarding the medical tourism in Mexico. For example they need to put more emphasis on the medical schools of the country, there are much less graduates a year that it would be needed, their number is around 3000. Mexico needs high standard schools with advance technology that train their students properly to meet the quality any patient could desire for.
At a hospital in Mexico ©silas216/Flick
