In an effort to strengthen Mexico’s healthcare competitiveness and quality through better public policy, officials and industry leaders gathered in Tijuana on Thursday for a forum aimed at shaping a new law on medical tourism.
The discussion also sought to reaffirm Baja California’s leadership as an international benchmark in the field, supported by its certified infrastructure, professional excellence, and long-standing tradition of cross-border cooperation.
The event featured several specialized working groups that used Baja California as a strategic reference point, given its historic prominence in medical tourism. Topics included academic training, international accreditation and workforce development, governance, hospitality, and migration.
Toward an Inclusive Model of Medical Tourism
The forum was led by Congressman Fernando Castro Trenti, secretary of the Health Commission in Mexico’s lower house of Congress, who thanked participants for contributing to what he described as a national effort to promote a more inclusive model of medical tourism.
Castro Trenti explained that the initiative aims to align all public health institutions under an integrated program that makes full use of the country’s existing healthcare capacity, ensuring access to high-quality services for all.
He added that the proposal will include clear certification and regulatory frameworks to enhance transparency and highlight the global competitiveness of Mexico’s healthcare services.
Congressman Pedro Zenteno Santaella, president of the Health Commission, noted that medical tourism has seen remarkable growth in Tijuana and that legislators are now working to recognize and regulate this phenomenon through federal law.
The commission expects to present the draft legislation to Congress in November.
Participants included state and federal officials from the health, tourism, and economic sectors, among them Fabián Walters Arballo, president of the Baja California Health Cluster; Saida Luz López Sánchez, the state’s tourism secretary; Gloria Miramontes, chair of the Baja California State Congress Health Commission; Jorge Figueroa, federal economy delegate in the state; and Adrián Medina, Baja California’s health secretary.
