Washington D.C., January 24, 2007
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has partnered with Mexico’s Centro Medico Puerta de Hierro to expand private health care in Jalisco state. This will help address the need for high-quality medical services both in Jalisco and Guadalajara, the second-largest city in Mexico and the main business center in the western part of the country.
IFC will provide a loan of 195 million Mexican pesos (about $18 million) as part of a $36 million project to build a new 57-bed hospital in the Tlajomulco district, located in southern Guadalajara. The new hospital will focus on trauma and oncology services. It will complement the company’s ambulatory surgical center and 86-bed hospital in northern Guadalajara, which was partly financed by IFC in 2005 with a $14.5 million loan.
Rodolfo Acosta, CEO of Centro Medico, said, “We are delighted to have IFC’s help in developing a modern and efficient private health care network that will implement global best practices and provide high-quality services. With this new hospital, we hope to meet the growing demand for trauma and oncology care in Jalisco and become a standard setter for the region.”
Guy Ellena, IFC Director for Health and Education, said, “IFC welcomes the opportunity to work again with Centro Medico. There is considerable growth potential in Mexico’s private health sector as income levels rise and pressures on the public health systems continue to increase. By expanding access to high-quality affordable care, the project will help relieve the burden on the system.” He added that IFC’s financing is an important vote of confidence for the private sector’s participation in Mexico’s health care system.
In fiscal 2007 (June 2006–July 2007), IFC committed $240 million for private sector projects in Mexico. IFC’s total committed portfolio in the country by the end of June 2007 was $1.2 billion. IFC’s strategy for Mexico focuses on enhancing the competitiveness of the private sector, deepening the financial sector by introducing specialized products and markets, supporting infrastructure development and investments in areas newly opened to private sector participation, and promoting sustainable environmental and social development and good corporate governance. Since Mexico became a member of IFC in 1956, the Corporation has provided $6 billion to the country’s private sector, including $2.2 billion in syndicated loans.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilizing private capital in local and international financial markets, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. IFC’s vision is that poor people have the opportunity to escape poverty and improve their lives. In FY07, IFC committed $8.2 billion and mobilized an additional $3.9 billion through syndications and structured finance for 299 investments in 69 developing countries. IFC also provided advisory services in 97 countries. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
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About Centro Medico Puerta de Hierro
Centro Medico Puerta de Hierro was established in 2004 with a $69 million investment in a medical complex in the Zapópan neighborhood of Guadalajara, Mexico. The complex opened in 2006 and consists of an ambulatory surgery center and an 86-bed general tertiary care hospital. Centro Medico was the first health service provider in Guadalajara to specialize in ambulatory surgery.