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 Health & Beauty | March 2008 
Travelling for Medical Treatment
 Healthcare Options
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| | This growing phenomenon is actually thousands of years old. In ancient Greece, pilgrims and patients came from all over the Mediterranean, to the sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios, at Epidaurus. | | |
MEDICAL TOURISM – Is the act of travelling abroad to obtain medical, dental or surgical care, whether it be urgent elective surgery. The term “Medical Tourism” was initially coined by travel agencies and the media, as a catch phrase to describe a rapidly growing industry where people travel to other countries to obtain medical, dental and surgical care. A leisure aspect of travelling may also be included on such a medical travel trip.
A combination of many factors has led to the recent increase in popularity of medical tourism; the high cost of healthcare in industrialized nations, the ease and affordability of international travel, and the improvement of technology and standards of care in many countries around the world.
Travelling for medical treatment varies. Many medical tourists from different countries opt to travel abroad for treatments for a variety of reasons, whilst others find it is their only choice. In the United States patients are seeking treatment at a quarter, or sometimes even a10th of the cost than that found at home. Whilst for Canadians, it is often people who are frustrated by long waiting times, As is here in the UK, patients just can’t wait for treatment by the National Health Service, but also the cost of private healthcare is far beyond the means of many people. For others, becoming a medical tourist is a chance to combine a tropical vacation with elective or plastic surgery.
Medical tourists can come from anywhere in the world and may seek essential healthcare services such as cancer treatment as well as brain and transplant surgery or complementary and ‘elective’ services such as aesthetic treatments. The newest and fastest-growing area of medical tourism is a visit to the dentist, where costs are often not covered by basic insurance and only by some extended insurance policies. Malta, Hungary, India and Thailand attract patients who want to combine a filling, extraction or root canal with a vacation, at a fraction of the cost.
A 21ST CENTURY RITUAL OR NOT
This growing phenomenon is actually thousands of years old. In ancient Greece, pilgrims and patients came from all over the Mediterranean, to the sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios, at Epidaurus. In Roman Britain, patients took to the waters at a shrine in Bath, a practice that continued for 2,000 years. From the 18th century, wealthy Europeans, travelled to spas from Germany to the Nile. In the 21st century, relatively low-cost jet travel has taken the industry beyond the wealthy and desperate. Countries that actively promote medical tourism include Cuba, Costa Rica, Hungary, India, Israel, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Thailand and many others. Malta, Turkey, Belgium, Poland and Singapore are now entering the field. South Africa specializes in medical safaris – promoting a visit to the country for a safari, with a stop-over for a nose job and a chance to see lions and elephants. What more could you ask for?
However, feelings towards medical tourism are not always positive. In places like the United States, where some people have access to insurance and health care, “Medical Tourism” is viewed as risky. In some parts of the world, wider political issues can influence where medical tourists will choose to seek out healthcare; for example, in late 2006 some patients from the Middle East were choosing to travel to Singapore or Hong Kong for health care rather than to the USA. While the tourism component might be a big draw for some Southeast Asian countries that focus on simple procedures, India is positioning itself as the primary medical destination, for the most complex medical procedures in the world.
India’s commitment to this is demonstrated with an ever growing number of hospitals that are attaining the US Joint Commission International Accreditation, does as Singapore which boasts the largest number of JCI accredited hospitals in the Asian region.
On the other hand, in South America, countries such as Argentina (number 5 in worldwide plastic surgery expertise) lead on plastic surgery medical skills, relying on the vast experience that their surgeons have, in treating the style-obsessed Argentinians. It is estimated that 1 in 30 Argentinians, have taken plastic surgery procedures, making this population the most operated in the world, after the States and Mexico.
STANDARDS ARE KEY
Because standards are everything when it comes to healthcare, there is a parallel issue around hospital accreditation. Singapore positions itself as a medical hub where healthcare services, medicine, biomedical research and pharmaceutical manufacturing converge and has made international news for many complex surgeries in certain areas, notably in specialities such as neurology, oncology and organ transplant procedures.
Potential medical tourists, may be assisted in making their choices, by whether or not hospitals have been assessed and accredited by reputable external accreditation bodies. The afore mentioned JCI (Joint Commission International), fulfills such a role in the USA, whilst in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong the Trent Accreditation Scheme is a key player. |
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