Positioning Nuevo León as a Leader in Specialized Medical Care and Health Tourism
Monterrey, NL. The Secretaría de Economía of Nuevo León unveiled the Health and Medical Tourism Cluster (Clustourmed) as part of an initiative to establish Nuevo León as a national and international leader in specialized medical care and health tourism.
Collaborative Model Integrating Hospitals, Universities, Companies, and Tourism Organizations
Through this cluster, the aim is to bring together hospitals, universities, businesses, medical organizations, and tourism entities under a collaborative model.
Abundant Medical Resources and Expertise
Betsabé Rocha, the Secretary of Economy, highlighted Nuevo León’s strong medical foundation: “We have over 38,000 hospital jobs, more than 40,000 medical professionals from both public and private sectors, and over 6,000 specialists.”
Strategic Location and Growing Medical Tourism
Emmanuel Loo, Subsecretary of Investment and Innovation at the Secretaría de Economía, emphasized Mexico’s second-place ranking in medical tourism and Nuevo León’s potential to attract international patients due to its proximity to major North American cities.
- Strategic Location: Nuevo León is the second-largest metropolitan area near the United States, with a hub airport connecting to key North American cities.
- Annual Patient Count: The state already receives around 80,000 medical tourists annually.
- Foreign Investment: Anticipated foreign direct investment of $500 million in healthcare over the next three years, including advanced technology companies like Thermo Fisher Scientific and Baxter México.
- Collaborative Research: Nuevo León hosted the University of Texas Board in March, collaborating with Tec de Monterrey on a study about the human genome of Latinos and Mexicans.
Mexico’s Prominence in Global Medical Tourism
Ramiro Ramírez Gutiérrez, Clustourmed President, stated that Mexico is globally recognized for its high-quality medical care, generating $10 billion in economic impact.
- Second-Place Ranking: Mexico is second in medical tourism (1.2 million patients) after Thailand (8 million).
- Attractive Specialties: Odontology, fertility treatments, orthopedics, cosmetic surgery, and regenerative medicine draw international patients.
- Patient Source: Nuevo León receives patients from Coahuila, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, the United States, and Canada.
Ramírez Gutiérrez noted that while Monterrey hasn’t yet matched the popularity of other Mexican medical tourism destinations like Tijuana, Reynosa, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, and Cancún, Nuevo León excels in hospital infrastructure and medical capabilities.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the purpose of the Clustourmed cluster? To integrate hospitals, universities, businesses, medical organizations, and tourism entities under a collaborative model to position Nuevo León as a leader in specialized medical care and health tourism.
- Why is Nuevo León a promising destination for medical tourism? Its strategic location near major North American cities, robust medical infrastructure, and growing annual patient count of 80,000.
- What makes Nuevo León’s medical sector attractive to international patients? Specialties such as odontology, fertility treatments, orthopedics, cosmetic surgery, and regenerative medicine.
- What foreign investments are expected in Nuevo León’s healthcare sector? Anticipated $500 million in foreign direct investment over the next three years, focusing on advanced medical technology and services.
