Category Archives: Medical Tourism/Health Tourism

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

It’s time for Kenya to position itself as hub for medical tourism

Posted on February 22, 2013 | Comments Off on It’s time for Kenya to position itself as hub for medical tourism

Director of medical imaging Prof Guang-Zhong Yang with a mechanical snake that can perform operations. Photo/FILE  REUTERS

A few weeks ago I attended an event sponsored by an international medical supplier. The event was part of a marketing tour by the officials in Kenya.

The highlight of the day was Kenya’s lack of cutting edge medical equipment and procedures. Robotic surgery and liver transplants are some of the procedures that are yet to be done locally.

The local representative made an important observation; 10 years ago mobile phones cost about Sh150,000 a piece, an amount that was beyond the reach of millions. Fast forward to today and the explosion of mobile phone use and opportunities that have arisen are there for everyone to see.

Despite the high investments that will be required in hospitals to acquire state of the art health care technologies, these will open doors to untapped medical tourism.

Many Kenyans are travelling abroad because of lack of high-tech facilities and some perceive hospitals in countries like USA and South Africa as a sure bet to receiving quality healthcare. This has seen countries like India turn into top medical tourism destinations.

For the financially endowed, USA and Germany has become the destination of choice where “softer chemotherapy” is used and marketed to cancer patients.

In the spa village of Bad Salzhausen in Germany, for instance, a combination of medical, spiritual care and even ethno botanical pharmacology are incorporated with cutting edge science to offer more tolerable doses and regimens of treatment for cancer.

The increase in number of Kenyan medical travellers to countries like India has opened an investment window for entrepreneurs.

Previously, patients had to rely on their own research or recommendations to choose a hospital. However, some faced challenges as they didn’t have a contact person to deal with before travelling for medical care.

To address this, services providers like Simon Karo are now handling patient logistics bookings and medical billing issues mostly for those travelling to India.

Access loans

He says the country should have a similar programme where organisations link patients from African countries to Kenyan hospitals to boost medical tourism.

A second challenge was the financial costs. Some providers are now partnering with insurance and banks to provide financing options which may be hard to get as an individual.

As entrepreneurs take advantage of the increase in number of patients travelling abroad, it is time investors injected more cash in upgrading hospitals to woo foreign clients.

Kenya has some of the best private hospitals in East and Central Africa. With growth in technology, there is no reason why it cannot be a hub for specialised medicare in the region.

source: http://www.BusinessDailyAfrica.com / Business Daily / Home / by Edward Omete / Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Reports,Features, Statistics

US$170m Medical Tourism Facility For St James

Posted on February 20, 2013 | Comments Off on US$170m Medical Tourism Facility For St James

Investment promotions agency , JAMPRO, has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with American Global MD (AGMD) for the country’s first ‘five-star’ medical tourism facility  valued at US$170 million.

John Marcocchio, the local project manager and director of Implementation Limited, said Thursday that the project is likely to break ground in 12 to 18 months after design is completed and construction approvals have been received.

Under the first phase of the project, a 50-75 bed facility will be constructed to offer plastic and cosmetic surgery, bariatric services and dental specialties.

Marcocchio said that the facility will be located within the elegant corridor in the parish of St James but said the site is yet to be selected.

“We have it do the design development process and submission for building permission. In Jamaica  that can take anywhere up to 18 months, the project manager said.

The deal took one year to put together, he said.

AGMD is a consortium of American-trained physicians and investors, all of whom have Jamaican links as a result of having previously studied or practiced in the country.

“Under the MOU, AGMD will build a fully ‘amenitised’ 200-bed hospital and medical facility that will target the North American and  Caribbean markets . The investment upon completion will provide employment opportunities for Jamaican doctors, nurses and other medical related personnel, delivering services ranging from elective surgeries, rehabilitation and naturopathy,” Jampro said in a release on the development on Thursday.

Jampro notes that the Government’s Health & Wellness Tourism Policy that was informed by a cross-ministerial team, seeks to lay out the framework for positioning Jamaica as the newest destination for medical and wellness tourism.

“These efforts were set in train by a comprehensive Jampro-led study of the industry’s potential that was completed in 2011, with the assistance of the Commonwealth Secretariat . Most recently, Cabinet has approved the mechanism for the development of the medical tourism industry and will be establishing a steering committee with major industry stakeholders to guide the finalization of the policy and regulatory framework,” the agency said.

Globally, the medical tourism industry was valued at over US$40 billion in 2010, with major markets in the industry generating over 1.5 million medical tourists, the investment agency said.

Implementation Limited, which specialises in project management, operates offices in Kingston and Ocho Rios.

“I met American Global when they were seeking a Caribbean location. With the assistance of JAMPRO the doctors decided to do the project in Jamaica,” said Marcocchio, who is Jamaican.

source: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com / The Gleaner / Home> Latest Business / by Avia Collinder, Business Writer / Thursday, February 14th, 2013

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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Others, Reports,Features, Statistics

Nigeria plans $650mn hospital in Abuja to check medical tourism

Posted on February 20, 2013 | Comments Off on Nigeria plans $650mn hospital in Abuja to check medical tourism

copyright: APA

A representative of IBT Group, promoters of the hospital project, Mr. Daniel Toledano, said on Tuesday in Abuja after making a presentation on the project to Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, that the hospital, which will be the first of its kind in Africa, would make Nigeria a medical tourists centre in Africa in terms of capacity and personnel to cater for, at least, 2 million patients at a time.

He said that the IBT Group, which will handle the project alongside Sumolex and KMD Architects, has over 35 years experience in turnkey projects in 21 countries across the globe.

While Nigeria loses over US$500 million yearly to medical tourism abroad, he said that capital plight per patient ranged between US$20,000 and US$40,000 per trip.

“The objectives of the project include provision of the first level three medical care facility in Nigeria and to relocate high-complexity medical care to Abuja Medical City,” he said.

The proposed 1,687-bed hospital, the minister said, would include 763 beds for a trauma centre, 300 beds for amenities care pavilion; 524 beds for a pediatric section and 100 beds for a physiotherapy and rehabilitation section.

In his remarks, the spokesman for IBT Group of Companies, Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, said that the Abuja Medical City, which will become operational six months to its completion date, would cost US$650 million.

Defining the operational model for the proposed hospital, Dr. Isioma Okobah, a Nigerian medical doctor based in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States of America, said, “We can attract our doctors in the Diaspora back home and there won’t be need for medical tourism abroad because they will provide the same services here and get the same pay they are getting now.”

Responding, the minister said that the proposal was in line with the plan of the Federal Government towards checking medical tourism abroad and providing world class healthcare services for Nigerians.

The project is expected to be completed between 24 and 36 months

source: http://www.en.starafrica.com / Star Africa.com / Home> Africa / posted by APA / February 13th, 2013

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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Reports,Features, Statistics

Vitals healthy for UAE’s billion-dirham growth in medical tourism

Posted on February 18, 2013 | Comments Off on Vitals healthy for UAE’s billion-dirham growth in medical tourism

Medical tourism market slated to grow at 7% this year; healthcare spending to hit $16.8bn by 2015

The UAE is fast developing into a top draw for medical tourism in the region, with latest research estimating the market valuation at $1.6 billion, with a seven per cent growth expected by end of 2013 as per market research firm, Euromonitor.

This is only fuelled further by the Economic Intelligence Unit Estimates, which calculates the UAE’s healthcare spending to rise to a whopping $16.8bn by 2015.

While researchers can crunch on these figures, the spending is a clear outline of the Masterplan 2020 that will peg the country as one of the top medical tourism destinations in the world.

Speaking at the ongoing Arab Health Congress, Dubai Health Authority Director General Essa Al Haj Al Maidoor spoke about the country’s efforts, explaining: “Firstly, it is important to recognise that it isn’t just the organic medical industry, but other factors also that come into play in boosting our positioning as one of the most sought after health tourism hubs today.

“The UAE’s central geographic positioning, the efforts in connectivity by its airlines, the relaxing of visas have all collectively helped the efforts. It is what you call a one stop shop for all your needs.”

Yet, in the centre of it all are the state of the art facilities and the planned spending in its healthcare sector that continues to draw in the tourists.

The government of Dubai has already taken a proactive step in creating a unified health tourism board, combining the expertise of the DHA, along with that of the Dubai Healthcare City and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, in facilitating the influx of medical tourists.

“The newly launched tourism initiative under the directive of the Crown Prince and the Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is strategising and identifying specialties that will fill market gaps that exist currently to draw in medical tourists,” he explained.

“Investors will be facilitated to invest in the right fields, but expansion is imminent across all specialties.

“We are striving to build a healthy environment that will provide a perfect platform to the people looking for excellent medical care.”

In a landmark move, a joint initiative, spearheaded by the DHA and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), facilitates overseas patients who wish to seek treatment in Dubai to be able to avail of a three-month medical tourist visa, extendible twice up to nine consecutive months.

Currently, only hospitals with international accreditation such as the Joint Commission International (JCI) and those in the process of securing one will be eligible.

Over the last few years, over 40 hospitals and healthcare facilities have been accredited with the JCI across the UAE, further boosting in medical tourism efforts.

But Dubai isn’t alone in its strategic road mapping, with state of the art hospitals such as the Saudi German, which opened doors last year.

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Healthcare is fast making strides with its partnership with the Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic, which will open a 364-bed facility later this year, with room to increase capacity to 490 beds.

The capital also opened doors last year to Burjeel Hospital, tying up with the prestigious Brussels University.

Meanwhile, RAK Hospital has also been heavily promoting medical tourism these past four years, with visitor packages that are both attractive in pricing and healthcare facilities.

When quizzed about the UAE’s placement in medical tourism on a global arena, Al Maidoor admitted that a few challenges yet have to be overcome.

“Staffing is one of the biggest challenges facing the healthcare sector today, but you also can’t deny that UAE is still a very young player in the field of medical tourism,” he said.

“The $1.6bn that is estimated of this market still stands far away from, let’s say Germany, which is in the ballpark of $462bn.

“However, I am very confident that the UAE is going to be a force to reckon with.”

source: http://www.emirates247.com / Home> Business> Economy & Finance / by Bindu Suresh Rai / Tuesday, January 29th, 2013

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