Staying Healthy in Mexico

The Costco Connection

Stephanie Ponder
May/June 2005
If Costco member Robert H. Page of Tempe, Arizona, had his way, everyone travelling to Mexico would pack not only the requisite sunscreen and a bathing suit, but also a copy of his book Mexico: Health and Safety Travel Guide.

“Comprehensive” would be an understatement in describing the book. The guide includes information for travel preparation and safety, a list of medical conditions and symptoms for self-diagnosis and an appendix of medications and their names in Spanish. It also includes a list of Spanish translations for health-related phrases such as “I need a doctor/Necesito un medico” and “I feel nauseous/Tengo nauseas.”

A hopsital and physician directory divides the country into eight regions and each region into cities. Hospitals within the cities are rated according to the services they offer. “If you’re in Cancun you’ll find out that there’s a recommendable facility, but for more serious illnesses you should go to Merida,” Page tells The Connection.

This section also contains a list and photos of physicians for each region and as much contact information as possible, including phone, fax and pager numbers along with e-mail addresses, photos of the listed hospitals and clinics, easy-to-read maps and information on where to find consulates, police stations and fire departments. The idea came to the family-practice physician in pieces-from patients travelling abroad who needed to know what shots and medical supplies they needed and expatriates who travelled from Mexico to the U.S. for their medical needs. When he asked why they weren’t seeing Mexican doctors, the response was always “We don’t know where they are.”

Having received his medical training in Guadalajara, Mexico, Page new Mexico had talented physicians-the trouble was finding them.

His first step in locating those doctors was to enlist the assistance of his sons Robert and Curtis, also a physician, who helped hi research and interview nearly 500 doctors-fewer than 200 of whom qualified for his book. Aside from a few doctors in rural areas, the criteria for including doctors were straightforward: “If you weren’t board certified or didn’t speak English, you wouldn’t make the cut.”

After three and a half years of research, the book was published. “It came out a lot better than I thought it would,” says Page. “We ended up with 40 cities when we thought there’d be 10.”

Page’s goal is to offer an updated version every two years. Page and his sons are currently working on five regional guides, starting with Yucatan, and they also hope to see a Spanish-language version of their first book soon. Currently, Mexico: Health and Safety Travel Guide is available at www.medtogo.com. The Web site also contains updated travel-preparation information, links to other sources and a place for travellers to ask question about travel to Mexico.

Page believes the book will even help people who want to retire in Mexico, by identifying which hospitals have the ideal facilities someone might need. “I think our book is going to be incredible for the people who read and use it,” he says.

~ Stephanie E. Ponder