The San Diego-Tijuana area has long been regarded by legislators and executives on both sides of the border as a microcosm, flourishing independently in a constant exchange of services, ideas, and workforce. Collaborations amongst both regions are common: from government funded artistic projects to entrepreneurial ventures in transportation and technology, the border has far from hindered the ambitions of progress of its citizens and instead has proven to be an opportunity for learning and growth.
As a city prepared with specialized doctors, surgeons and dentists, including some that arrive from the best universities in Mexico to join the medical tourism boom in Tijuana, it is no wonder that the industry has grown exponentially as word of mouth and transnational advertisers make known the great economic benefits of this medical network and its direct impact on the health and appearance of patients.
Tijuana has a long history of tourism that extends back to the 1920’s, but in recent times the hotels and resorts spread around the city and in the nearby municipalities of Rosarito and Ensenada have seen an upsurge of guests that stay, not just for rest and relaxation, but to seek treatments, medications, surgical procedures, dental interventions and other health related services. In 2013, US residents spent 1.4 billion dollars searching medical treatments abroad, a 900% increase from the 2000’s. The abundant transit for medical reasons has been acknowledged in many ways by the Tijuana government, including the creation of the Fast Pass Lane, also dubbed the Medical Lane, that allows quick entry into Mexico for people receiving medical attention within the country, as well as the creation of the platform Baja Health Tourism, offering tourists certified medical service providers.
The organization Patients Beyond Borders estimates anywhere from two hundred thousand to a million people cross the border every year for that reason alone, with California residents representing a majority, and Tijuana is in the top seven cities in Mexico that offer those services and the second most popular worldwide.
Evimed is one of the innovative companies in the Tijuana region, taking an integrative approach to healthcare by providing patients and doctors with a digital platform that will allow them to plan their visits and treatments, as well as arranging accommodation and transportation services across the US-Mexico Border, all in one convenient place and aimed directly at English-speaking visitors.
About the Author
Sophia Elizabeth Ibarra is a Hispanic Language and Literature Studies student at UABC. She specializes in editing and content creation. Her short stories have been featured in two books and her articles are published in several websites, both in English and Spanish.
Sophia Elizabeth Ibarra’s LinkedIn
References:
Trends in U.S. Health Travel Services Trade: https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/executive_briefings/chambers_health-related_travel_final.pdf
Fast Pass:
https://www.bajabound.com/before/permits/borderfastpass.php
Patients Without Borders:
https://www.patientsbeyondborders.com/mexico
Medical Tourism platform:
https://tijuanotas.com/presentan-tijuana-plataforma-turismo-salud/