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About World Medical Resources
Medical Tourism Directory
The Medical Tourism and the Health Travel Industry is booming, and
now there's a medical travel directory that gives medical tourists the information they need to get the care they deserve. In addition to information and articles to educate you about healthcare travel, World Medical Resources' online medical travel directory gives you access to information about global hospitals , medical tourism physicians and medical travel planners so you can make the best decision for you.
International medical care facilities and providers are encouraged to contact WMR immediately to ensure their facility is listed on the most comprehensive medical tourism resource on the web.Our Destinations include listings for popular countries including: Costa Rica , Mexico , India , Singapore , Malaysia , Spain , Thailand , Argentina , Brazil , China , Dubai/UAE , Korea , El Salvador .
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December 2007 Monterrey, Mexico
by Sandy Pennington - World Medical Resources
World Medical Resources (WMR) took its first business trip to Monterrey, Mexico last week. From time to time, we will chronicle travel that we take so that we might share experiences that we believe could benefit the medical traveler.
We should begin by saying that the medical community in Monterrey, Mexico was very welcoming to us and we were quite impressed with the facilities we visited.
PLANNING AND TRAVEL:
Mexico now requires a passport for citizens of the USA should they arrive by air or sea. If arriving by land, then he (currently) can enter the country with a certified copy of his birth certificate and a drivers license. I do not believe that the birth certificate will be accepted for a long term, so plan on needing a passport and unless you want to pay extra and make special arrangements, plan on 6 weeks to 2 months after sending in your paperwork. The passport office can help by expediting service to a much shorter time but it will cost.
American citizens will also need to get a Tourist Card which they can get from any Mexican Consulate office or at the border in Mexico. We got our card from the Mexican Consulate office in Austin, Texas and it was a quick process. Do not be discouraged when you see a lot of people in the consulate office. In Austin, window #1 is reserved for people getting these cards. We were in and out in about 15 minutes. Our group lives in the Dallas area and we chose to go to the Austin consul office because the Dallas Consulate office has poor parking and long lines.
Because of our lack of experience with driving in Mexico, we left our vehicle at a Marriott hotel not far from the border in Laredo (a courtesy they extended because we were staying with a sister hotel in Monterrey).
We then traveled to Monterrey from Laredo by taxi. The cost was $200 USD each way. This was arranged through our hotel. The driver who picked us up was patient (we were late) and very helpful. It is important that the driver himself have either a passport, a visa, a work permit, or some documentation that will allow him to cross the border. If you plan on taking your own car, then there are rules, insurance, permits, and requirements that must be met. Give yourself adequate time for this process, and do some homework before you undertake it.
Once you cross the border into Mexico you will need to pay a fee of about $20 and get your Tourist Card stamped. The fee must be paid ONLY to a bank (where they can give you the official stamp), and can be paid at any time before leaving the country. However, it is advisable to do it before you leave the “Frontier†area near the border. We had an issue when some people just inside the Mexican border told us that we had a "green light" so we did not have to stop for the card stamp right then. We went on into the country and were stopped at an immigration area and they almost made us go back to the border for the stamp. The immigration person also asked for the $20 fee. When we insisted on a receipt, he finally let us go without paying him, but this little episode cost us nearly an hour (and could have cost an extra $20 if we had actually paid him without getting the stamp). This was really the only unpleasant thing about our entire trip.
Once in Monterrey, our driver stopped at a bank where we changed some dollars into pesos, and paid the fee to get our tourist cards stamped. Very simple and easy.
When you leave the border town of Nuevo Laredo, the scenery on the way to Monterrey is vast desert and mountains, very beautiful if you appreciate such landscape. In Monterrey itself, there is a mountain around which the city is built. The views from our hotel windows were absolutely striking both day and night.
HOTEL:
We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Monterrey San Jeronimo which is near the central area where there are many hospitals and doctor offices. The purpose of our trip was to meet with many hospitals, physicians, and dentists, so our location was perfect. We found the staff to be very helpful. There was always someone on hand who spoke English. The rooms were clean, roomy and very comfortable. All rooms have high speed internet connections, and even a couple of English TV channels. If you are going to be in your room for long periods, we suggest taking books or your own portable dvd player (and movies).
We had no issues with plugs, and no adaptors were required.
Our hotel (as well as others) have arrangements with some of the hospitals, and offer special rates and even special diets for patients traveling for medical treatments.
The only added service that we wish the hotel offered was airport pickup. However, shuttles (as we know them) don’t seem to exist in Monterrey. Your current choices are either cab, bus, or private vehicle. As a courtesy, the hotel used its van to drop off and pick up guests during the dinner hours (until 11:00pm). Our hotel did, however, have a service at the airport to check you in and arrange for a cab to pick you up.
AROUND THE CITY:
Again, we arranged through the hotel for the services of an English speaking driver for our time in the city. Because of our scheduled appointments, we felt we couldn’t depend on cabs, and the expense of this service was reasonable at $12-$15 per hour. Traffic in the city is very bad and seemed chaotic to us, so we were really glad not to have to worry about it.
Additionally, the driver we were lucky enough to have was a complete gem. He was very conscientious about getting us to our appointments on time, he suggested places to eat that were quick, clean, and reasonable, and he even loaned us his cell phone for a couple of quick calls. His name is Tony (Juan Antonio Alvarado).
TIPPING:
A normal and reasonable tip in Mexico is 10%.
NAMES:
It is customary in Mexico for people to have two family surnames. When addressing someone, use the first family name, ie. Josef Ramirez Martin would be addressed as Mr. Ramirez.
EATING:
Meals happen later than we were used to. At 3:00 in the afternoon we waited about 15 minutes for a table, then Friday evening at 8:00 we were the only people in the restaurant. By 10:00, the place was packed!
PHYSICIANS WE VISITED:
Without exception, every physician with whom we met was gracious, intelligent, helpful, and very concerned about the quality of other physicians listed on our website. Their offices were comparable to any we have seen in the US. While some of the staff spoke little or no English, the physicians were mostly fluent. We met with bariatric surgeons, urologists, gynecologists, and general surgeons.
DENTISTS WE VISITED:
According to what we were told, the certification of dentists in Mexico is a recent requirement. About four years ago an association was begun, with mandated education and practice requirements.
HOSPITALS WE VISITED:
Each and every person with whom we met was professional, gracious, and hospitable with both time and information. Every question was answered, complete facility tours were offered and accepted if possible.
CIMA Santa Engracia Hospital - The hospital is currently working on obtaining JCI Accreditation, expected to be complete it in 2008. The building is about 11 years old. We were able to see patient rooms and found them to be roomy and comfortable. All are private with plenty of space for visitors (including pull-out sofas for overnight guests). Santa Engracia is a large hospital with many specialties.
Sierra Madre Hospital - Again, the professionals with whom we met were gracious and hospitable. Currently remodeling, the hospital is expanding to 30 rooms. Expansion should be completed by February 2008. A lovely facility, their plans include JCI Accreditiation in 2008. The rooms were spacious and private.
Oca Hospital - Another lovely facility with welcoming staff. Many speak English as well as other languages besides Spanish. This is a large hospital with many specialties. |
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