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Amber massages and smoke saunas – Estonia and Lithuania promote wellness tourism

Posted on March 12, 2013

Unspoilt nature is not the only thing that is supposed to attract holidaymakers to the Baltic region. This year Estonia and Lithuania are promoting themselves first and foremost as wellness destinations. Speaking at ITB Berlin, Tarmo Mutso, Director of the … Continue reading →

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Nigeria To Partner Medical Tourism Association

Posted on March 9, 2013 | Comments Off on Nigeria To Partner Medical Tourism Association

TO stem the tide of increasing numbers of Nigerian seeking medical treatment abroad and capital flight, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is to enter into partnership with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA), an American-based non-profit organization, as the body has expressed strong interest in helping to brand Nigeria as a viable destination for medical tourism and check the influx of Nigerians of all ages and status from seeking medical care abroad.

This formed the crux of agreement reached by the association and NTDC when the representatives visited the Nigeria stand at the unfolding international travel and tourism trade exhibition – ITB, holding in Berlin. The , which was led by it  Executive Officer, Jonathan Edelheit and Global Congress Manager, Cristina Cardona, revealed that the body, which has membership in over 100 countries across the world, is dedicated to promoting medical education and enlightenment through workshops, seminars and training sessions among others. They also said that they work through hospitals, medical personnel, health service providers, governments and tourism bodies in the realization of their aims.

“Our organisation works with governments and hospitals in over a hundred different countries and we would like to help brand Nigeria and train personnel with a view to help bring in medical tourists to Nigeria,” said Edelheit. To this end, he said the body is through NTDC seeking to come into the Nigerian market to create awareness of it services and help to midwife the Nigeria branch of MTA, which will be saddled with the responsibility of helping various medical service providers and the government in creating and promoting a health and conducive environment for medical tourism to thrive in the country.

“Medical tourism is a huge part of the tourism industry in Kenya and South Africa and we would like to help Nigeria grow this sector and take advantage of the huge opportunities,” he said. “One of the benefits is that it also helps the local population as there will be increased investment in quality, in expansion and infrastructure.”

He explained that Nigerian hospitals would benefit from specialising in medical procedures that take advantage of the products and services that the country has to offer while also analyzing what types of patients from which specific markets to target. “Presently patients travel round the world looking for value, quality and affordability. What the MTA is offering is to come to Nigeria to provide education on where the country’s competitive advantage lies and help develop it,” Edelheit continued.

source: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com / The Guardian-Nigeria /Home> National News / by Andrew Iro Okungbowa, Berlin / Friday, March 08th, 2013

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Posted in Associations/Organisations/Government/NonGovernment, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Others

Expert committee soon for medical tourism

Posted on March 5, 2013 | Comments Off on Expert committee soon for medical tourism

Steps will be taken to enhance infrastructure and facilities in medical college hospitals

MedtourCT05mar2013

 (Left to Right) Director of JIPMER T.S. Ravikumar, past president of AAEMI Anita Bhavnani, the current President, Pankaj Arora, and Puducherry Tourism Minister P. Rajavelu address the media at the Minister’s office in Puducherry on Monday —Photo: G. Krishnaswamy / The Hindu

Puducherry Tourism Minister P. Rajavelu said the government would form an expert committee to explore the possibilities of promoting medical tourism.

The Minister, who held an important meeting with Dr. Pankaj Arora, President of the American Academy for Emergency Medicine in India (AAEMI), and Dr. T.S. Ravikumar, Director, JIPMER, told The-Hindu on Monday that Puducherry had excellent potential to promote medical tourism, which was gaining momentum in some cities in South India.

There were nine medical colleges in Puducherry, which included the renowned JIPMER, the first medical educational institute in Puducherry. No other town in South India has such a large a number of medical colleges and other allied institutes. It was a blessing not only to students but also patients, including from foreign countries. Hence, it has been decided to set up a committee with line departments so as to transform Puducherry as a destination for medical tourism , he said Mr. Rajavelu said a conference would be convened soon under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy to carry forward the agenda for medical tourism. With the available infrastructure and treatment facilities, Puducherry could garner global attention and become the foremost choice for patients from abroad.

Infrastructure development necessary

Since treatment was expensive in countries such as England, USA and others, there was a possibility to attract patients from European countries also. Fine tuning the infrastructure was the need of the hour. Steps would be taken to enhance infrastructure and facilities in medical college hospitals so as to fulfil the expectation of patients from abroad also.

Hospitals such as JIPMER and PIMS have been developed to the level of attracting patients from abroad. This was an indication that Puducherry could be developed as a hub of medical tourism.

However, it was important for the hospitals to get international accreditation to attract patients not only from western countries but also from neighbouring ones.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Puducherry, March 05th, 2013

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Posted in Associations/Organisations/Government/NonGovernment, Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Reports,Features, Statistics, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

200 farmers among trainees in health, tourism, fisheries, renewable energy , airport security, air space security and road maintenance

Posted on February 25, 2013 | Comments Off on 200 farmers among trainees in health, tourism, fisheries, renewable energy , airport security, air space security and road maintenance

Photo: St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas (back) and Chief Secretary and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Elvis Newton (right) with delegation from the Kingdom of Morocco.

Basseterre , St. Kitts , FEBRUARY 20TH 2013 (CUOPM)

Kittitians and Nevisians are to benefit from up to 20 scholarships and numerous training courses as a result of an agreement between the Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Kingdom of Morocco.

The agreement, signed by Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas on behalf of St. Kitts and Nevis, states that persons taking up the scholarships will attend public schools and universities in Morocco.

The Moroccan side has expressed its willingness to develop its cooperation with St. Kitts and Nevis in the fields of higher education and scientific research, according to the needs expressed by the St. Kitts and Nevis side.

The Kingdom of Morocco will also invite the St. Kitts and Nevis high officials and executives of higher education institutions for working visits and workshops with the first visit scheduled for the month of June 2013.

Morocco’s Office of Vocational Training and Employment Promotion (OFPPT) is committed to provide annually, on official quota, for ten (10) young people to enroll in its technical vocational training schools. In this regard OFPPT will provide accommodation and food services in its boarding schools while the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation will provide scholarships for the students.

The OFPPT has also committed itself to organize annually, in concert with AMCI, training sessions (one (01) to two (02) months) aiming at developing the technical skills of trainees. The two sides have also agreed to examine jointly the memorandum of understanding in the field of vocational training submitted by OFPPT for the development of partnership projects.

According to the needs expressed by St. Kitts and Nevis, the Moroccan Ministry of health will organize training courses for the benefit of five persons in various fields; provide trainings in public health or health administration at the National Institute of Health Administration (two-year teaching full-time); Paramedical staff in the Training Institutes for Health Careers; Pharmacy in the National Laboratory of Drug Control and training of pharmacists inspectors.

Morocco has agreed to provide St. Kitts and Nevis with expertise in crop production, livestock, animal health and veterinary, agricultural valorisation and marketing, mechanisation, irrigation and water management.

The Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), in cooperation with the OCP Foundation and INRA, will implement a pilot integrated agricultural development project for the benefit of up to and maximum of 200 small farmers.

Within this project, one training scholarship including return tickets and living expenses in Morocco will be covered annually for capacity building in needed priority fields for St. Kitts and Nevis. This one to three months training will be carried at INRA and financed by OCP foundation.

Within this pilot integrated agricultural development project, the Kingdom of Morocco via AMCI is committed to provide annually, for the 2013-2015 St. Kitts and Nevis with ninety (90) tons of fertilizers. The types of fertilizers are the same than the ones provided in 2011.

The Moroccan side, through the National Office for Electricity and Potable Water, has committed itself to annually provide up to 2 training sessions in favour of 10 people in the fields of water treatment, quality control and wastewater treatment.

The Kingdom of Morocco is keen to assist St. Kitts and Nevis in the development of expertise in electricity branch, particularly in supervision of the construction of thermal power plants (coal, fuel, diesel etc, studies and assistance in the construction of national grid of electricity networks and in the planning of electricity networks and in rural electrification, and development of electric interconnections capacities, renewable energies and rehabilitation of distribution networks.

In the area of tourism, the Moroccan side have agreed to provide two to three seats by sector training institutions in hospitality and tourism under the Ministry within the overall quota reserved by International of  Cooperation of the Moroccan Agency and Moroccan experts are to visit St. Kitts and Nevis assess the needs and priorities in the field of tourism. Moroccan is also committed to provide annually an official quota of 16 scholarships to the applicants wishing to enrol in schools of vocational training, as follows: 10 seats for the technician and 6 seats for the qualification level.

St. Kitts and Nevis is to send nationals in training courses that is held in Morocco within the framework of triangular cooperation, in the field of fisheries.

Moroccan will also provide two scholarships annually to enrol in technical schools for infrastructures (two years) and to offer internships in airport certification, airport security, air space security and road maintenance.

Morocco and St. Kitts and Nevis also agreed to exchange annually a group a 30 young children during the moths of July and August.

source: http://www.gov.kn / Saint Christopher (St.Kitts) and Nevis / Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

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Posted in Associations/Organisations/Government/NonGovernment, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Medical Treatment/Health Treatment Subject By Speciality, Reports,Features, Statistics

Oman, Thailand ties ride medical tourism wave

Posted on February 23, 2013 | Comments Off on Oman, Thailand ties ride medical tourism wave

Dr.Pornchai Danvivathana is Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Sultanate of Oman

Thailand has become a well-known medical tourism destination, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the public and private sectors in response to the rising demand for medical treatment.

Over the years, medical tourism has proven to be a lucrative business for a number of countries in Asia as it generates a lot of income for all stakeholders in tourism and its related industries.  In order to remain competitive in these services sector, Thailand has relaxed its immigration law to promote medical tourism, and at the same time to facilitate treatment of premium quality, including tourist attractions, for patients coming to Thailand.

Taking effect on January 5 this year, the new regulations allow nationals from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), to stay in Thailand for medical treatment up to a period of 90 days without a visa.  A tourist-cum-patient falling into this category may be accompanied with no more than three individuals of GCC nationals (i.e. parents, children, spouse or maid), who will likewise enjoy a 90-days visa exemption.

It should be noted that those wishing to get the benefit of the 90-days visa exemption shall present certain documents required for their eligibility.  Nationals from South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru are also eligible for the present scheme due to the respective agreements on a 90-day visa exemption concluded between Thailand and those countries.

Other than medical tourism, Thailand has gained a lot of recognition in spa and wellness. The government agencies concerned have worked with all stakeholders in Thailand to set appropriate standards and criteria for Thai masseurs and masseuses and for businessmen who are offering Thai spa and/or wellness within the country and abroad.

In this regard, Thai herbal medicine may be infused with massage and spa to offer tourists and the local people the best quality of services of this kind. Extra-entrepreneurial skills, as well as integrity and accountability, to run the business are additional elements Thailand has taken steps to enhance for meeting international standards.

To put it simply, Omani people and other GCC nationals, except Saudi nationals, who can apply for a visa on arrival for a stay of 15 days, may go to Thailand and are eligible to the 30-days visa exemption as usual.  They may now enjoy the 90-days visa exemption, if proof of medical purpose is presented at the airport.

I would like to underline that Thailand has more to offer to non-Thai visitors, in addition to hospitality and friendship it has never failed to provide.  Communication and travel as a result of medical tourism could be the prevailing avenue to promote people-to-people connectivity, thus strengthening ties between Oman and Thailand in the years to come.!
Dr.Pornchai Danvivathana is Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Sultanate of Oman.

source: http://www.timesofoman.com / Home / by Dr. Pornchai Danvivathana / Friday, February 22nd, 2013

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Posted in Associations/Organisations/Government/NonGovernment, Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Reports,Features, Statistics, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas