An overview of Mexico’s hospital capacity
Mexico ranks second in Latin America and the Caribbean for its number of hospitals, following Brazil with 6.7 thousand of these medical institutions. The second most populated country in the region had an estimated 3.5 thousand for-profit privately owned hospitals, and more than 1.5 thousand publicly owned clinics in 2021. Not-for-profit privately owned hospitals amounted to 20 units that year. According to a ranking considering patient safety, human capital, and patient experience among other characteristics, one of these not-for-profit institutions was the second leading hospital in the country based on quality. The leading hospital in Mexico, according to these criteria, is for profit and private.Despite ranking second in Latin America and the Caribbean for its number of hospitals, when it comes to hospital beds per 1,000 people, Mexico ranks 12th, with Argentina and Cuba having nearly four hospital beds per 1,000 people more than the North American nation. Although over 70 percent of Mexican hospitals are privately owned, most hospital beds are located on public institutions, with over 36 percent of beds used on the area of obstetrics, gynecology, or pediatrics, and 14 percent used for internal medicine patients.