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A Unique FBO in Baja Mexico by Rich Pickett
I’ve had the opportunity to visit FBOs that range from simple to elaborate, having landed at over 900 airports. Some with cafes, others with hotels; I’ve even found a swimming pool for visiting aviators at one. Not until I
visited Loreto (MMLT) in Baja Sur California, Mexico, one of the airports and FBOs I fly to regularly, have I found one with an Emergency and Urgent Care clinic inside the facility.
I’ve been traveling to Loreto since the 1990s, a beautiful area to visit, and in January of this year, Loreto Aviation Services opened a comprehensive Urgent Care and Emer- gency medical clinic within its FBO. Wherever you travel, there may be the need to obtain medical services, and when that travel takes you to remote areas, it can be a challenge to find care. The Baja peninsula is 700 nautical miles long, with no large communities in a significant portion of this beautiful area. There are medical professionals in these communities; however, the closest emergency medical facility to Loreto is San Jose Del Cabo, 200 nautical miles by air south. That equals a six-hour drive.
Loreto Aviation Services’ parent company also owns hotels and resorts in the Loreto area. With tourism growing there, they recognized the potential need to provide quality, advanced emergency and urgent medical care to the local community and visitors. Without a doubt, the availability of local medical services enhances the appeal of the area to some visitors.
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They were not simply intent to build an impressive medical facility but also realized the need to provide an ambulance service as well. The ambulances are based at the airport and can serve a large portion of Baja.
They also recognized that cooperation with an established hospital is important and collaborated with St. Luke’s Hospital, located in San Jose Del Cabo, to operate the facility and the ambulance service. The as- sociation with the hospital allows patients with insurance, including many US and Canadian insurance providers, coverage for medical care. This gives additional peace of mind for people traveling to Baja, especially those without specific travel insurance.
I first visited the medical clinic in Febru- ary when I stopped by the FBO. Juan Rangel Martinez, the executive director, and Horacio Rolon, the general manager, are