Category Archives: Medical Tourism/Health Tourism

B’lore is firmly on Medical Tourism Map

Posted on February 10, 2014 | Comments Off on B’lore is firmly on Medical Tourism Map

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It was in 2001 that I moved to Canada with my family. Four years later, we moved to the United States. But I decided to come to Bangalore for a special connection that I established with it almost 25 years ago.

In 1994, I met with an accident and broke my hand. It was a Bangalore-based doctor who fixed it and he did a great job. His kindness and helping nature touched my heart, and I started referring to him patients, most of whom could not afford a high fee, and he never asked them to pay.

Last year, I met with another car accident and my left knee was damaged. While my right knee compensated, it was damaged, too. I had to get a knee replacement. Although I was in the US, I knew who the best doctor for me was. I enquired about my insurance and they told me that they don’t reimburse for expenses incurred outside the country. I still chose to visit my doctor in Bangalore, and my surgery that was performed in July 2013 was successful. Three weeks later, I started walking. After three months, I was able to sit cross-legged on the floor.

Now, I can move about and work to keep myself busy. People in Bangalore were so warm that I never felt like a patient – I felt as if I received VIP treatment. I love my Bangalore.

There is a perception that West has the best healthcare systems. My experience shows that we have the best-skilled people here with world standards.

We have the best doctors and some of the best hospitals and we need to make use of them. I had a great time here with friends and family.

I want people all over the world to be aware of the abundance in Bangalore. Everybody should come and visit Bangalore, whether as a tourist or as a patient like me.

We have to promote Bangalore in as many ways as possible. I have a dream, which is to see people walking without pain, especially the less-privileged. I am sure I can do it with the help of the excellent doctors here as it’s the best medical tourist destination.

While here, I also discovered Vidyarthi Bhavan dosa and fell in love with its dosa. The combination of good food and great friends in this city makes me want to keep coming back. In spite of having lived in Canada and the US, Bangalore is the best.

(The writer, who lived in Lakkasandra, is resident of United States)

my Bangalore

Likes

   My friends here

   Vidyarthi Bhavan

   Doctors and hospitals

   Weather

   Commercial Street

Dislikes

   Traffic

   Bad Roads

   Poor urban planning

   Scarcity of water

   Rising costs

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Radha Acharya – Bangalore / February 01st, 2014

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

Czech Republic a mecca for medical tourism

Posted on February 7, 2014 | Comments Off on Czech Republic a mecca for medical tourism

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Právo: Foreigners spend millions on health care in Czech Republic

Prague :

More and more foreigners seek paid health care services, primarily plastic surgery, surgical treatment of obesity and assisted reproduction, in the Czech Republic, annually spending tens of millions of crowns on them, the daily Právo writes today.

Britons, Germans, Austrians and Russians prevail among foreign clients of Czech health care centers.

The reasons are obvious: they would pay up to 50 percent less for the treatment while the quality and conditions in the Czech Republic are comparable to those in their countries, Právo says.

Another significant reason is that patients often want to conceal plastic surgery from their acquaintances. This is why they like to undergo it abroad, taking holiday over it, Právo says.

“In 2012, the Czech Republic became the most favourite medical tourism destination for Britons,” Ondřej Šebestík, from HealthCzech company, told Právo.

According to preliminary estimates, the number of foreign tourists seeking treatment in the Czech Republic increased in 2013 as well. Both foreign opinion polls and figures from Czech clinics confirm this trend, Právo adds.

It writes that the number of foreign clients of Czech clinics more than doubled in the past years, which is reflected in the facilities’ proceeds.

Besides, the number of English-speaking patients interested in the treatment in the Czech Republic increased more than four times between 2011 and 2012, Šebestík added.

The economic crisis slightly impeded the boom of medical tourism but after the decline in 2008, the number of Britons, for instance, seeking health care abroad started to rise again, Právo says.

Foreigners appreciate the high level of health services in the Czech Republic, similar to Western standards, but for twice or three times lower prices.

The most popular plastic surgery is breast augmentation with implants, which costs an equivalent of over 110,000 Kč in Britain and about 90,000 Kč in Germany, while in Czech clinics it is some 60,000 Kč only, Právo notes.

“In 2013, we provided care for over 1,000 clients from Germany, who arrived in the Czech Republic mainly to seek plastic surgery and assisted reproduction,” ISCARE clinical center general director František Lambert said.

Foreigners seek most frequently breast operations in the Czech Republic, which make up almost 50 percent, followed by liposuction, abdominal plastic surgery, face lifting and eyelid surgery, he added.

A client spends 65,000 Kč in the center on average, Právo says.

Besides, it writes, foreign couples who need assisted reproduction technology go to the Czech Republic also because of its more flexible legislation, compared to other countries. Czech law enables anonymous sperm and egg donation, for instance.

In Europe, the Czech Republic, along with Spain, is the most popular destination for infertile couples,” ISCARE assisted reproduction centre head doctor Jaroslav Hulvert confirmed to ČTK.

“We estimate that 4000-5000 IVF (in vitro fertilisation) cycles were carried out to foreign clients in the Czech Republic in 2013,” Eizellspende IVF company executive Oliver Nosek told Právo.

Another boom of medical tourism can be expected in connection with the EU directive under which any EU citizen who has the right to a treatment covered by health care insurance in his home country can apply it in any other EU member state on condition it is not available at home in a reasonable time horizon and if the treatment costs do not exceed the costs at home, Právo writes.

The EU members had to transpose this regulation into their legal orders as of October 2013, it adds.

source: http://www.praguepost.com / Prague Post / Home> EU News / by Czech News Agency / Prague – February 03rd, 2014

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Dubai to boast new medical facilities by 2017

Posted on February 6, 2014 | Comments Off on Dubai to boast new medical facilities by 2017

A new multi-million dollar hospital by MAG Group will boost medical tourism to Dubai.

A major realtor has announced plans to develop a new healthcare complex, catering for growing demand for private healthcare in Dubai which is driven by local demand and medical tourism.

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Dubai-based MAG Group has signed a joint venture agreement with Dubai Healthcare City (DHC) to develop mixed-use project in Dubai Healthcare City at an estimated cost of around AED800 million (US$217m).

The development is still at the concept design stage and scheduled for completion at the end of 2016. Once finished, the complex will include two hospitals, a clinic, a residential complex, a hotel, retail space, a mosque, and an automated car park.

Addressing officials from DHCC, Moafaq Al Gaddah, Chairman of MAG Group said; “The healthcare sector in Dubai is on the cusp of a sustained period of growth and will need to build medical facilities for the future.

According to Mr. Al Gaddah, this growth is being fuelled by natural growth in the local population and in the number of expatriate arrivals as the economy expands. He also cited the growth of private health insurance due to changes in government employment policy, and Dubai’s growing status as a medical tourism hub for the Middle East.

As a marker of growth, data from the Dubai Health Authority shows that total inpatient visits to healthcare centres grew by a CAGR of 9%, between 2006 and 2011 totalling 183,000 visits in 2011. By that time almost 57% of all inpatient facilities were in private hands, as inpatient visits to private healthcare centres grew by a CAGR of 18% over the same period, a clear sign of changing preferences in Dubai.

It is a similar picture for outpatient care. Outpatient visits to private healthcare centres grew by a CAGR of 8% between 2006 and 2011. The private sector now dominates outpatient care, with 73% of all outpatient visits in 2011.

source: http://www.traveldailymedia.com / Travel Daily ME / Home> News> Hotel & Spa> Tourism / February 02nd, 2014

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

Medical Tourism

Posted on February 4, 2014 | Comments Off on Medical Tourism

Medical care in the U.S. for seniors appears to be in jeopardy and soon not even available at all for ages 75 and above. Even now, qualification for Medicare for any age may be means-tested. I believe that it may become illegal in the U.S. to hire private physician care outside of Medicare.

Medical care in the U.S. was already collapsing fast, and now Obamacare seems certain to absolutely destroy what’s left. Therefore, this might be the time to educate yourself on medical tourism, especially if you are 75 or older.

Medical care in foreign countries appears to be better in many places than in the U.S. with much lower cost. Of course, I am fully aware that U.S. citizens are addicted to “free” medical care after retirement age. But “free” medical care in the U.S. is not that good.

To begin your search, go to Google and type in “medical tourism.” There is a lot of information available. Already, more than 1 million U.S. citizens are medical tourists.

I have spent some time reading about medical tourism in Thailand, which appears to be one of the preferred destinations for medical treatment for many Americans. Of course, there are many countries that are very receptive to medical tourism. The cost is considerably less than in the U.S. — many times, less than 50 percent.

There will most of the time be no wait. Surgeons are among the best in the world, adhering to international standards with first-class facilities.

There is a wide range of treatments available with private recovery if you desire. I have learned that the medical tourist establishments are eager to correspond with great confidentiality and offer low-cost, longer patient stays for recovery.

Contact around the world in our day with email and Vonage phone service is affordable to everyone. Vonage phone service is very good and getting better, costing a minimum of about $30 a month for calls worldwide.

Those of you who have gold and silver coins, they are good money anywhere in the world. And after the next run-up rally, these coins will be very valuable compared to paper money.

source: http://www.personalliberty.com / Personal Liberty Digest / Home / by Bob Livingstone / January 29th, 2014

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The new regional hub for cosmetic surgery

Posted on February 3, 2014 | Comments Off on The new regional hub for cosmetic surgery

A French-based forum for plastic surgeons and dermatologists opined that the strongest global growth for aesthetic procedures will be in the Asian market.

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Bangkok : 

Thailand is aiming to become the regional hub for cosmetic surgery, a market that could help earn it an estimated RM20.4 billion (US$6.8 billion) over the next five years.

Thailand is already the leading country for medical tourism in Southeast Asia.

The country’s medical council and a number of plastic surgeons have urged the government to support their efforts to promote cosmetic surgery in Thailand.

Private hospitals, hotels and associations of dentists and physicians have also launched the Medical Tourism Association, which proposes special cosmetic surgery packages for medial tourists.

For example, a breast-surgery package being marketed in the UK would include return airfare, a stay at a luxury hotel in Bangkok and a shopping trip. Total cost will be around RM30,600( US$10,200).

A similar surgery alone in the UK would set the patient back by around RM51,000 (US$17,000,) the association said.

The global market for aesthetic procedures grew by 10%  in 2012 and is expected to grow at the same rate in 2013.

According to a report by IMCAS, a French-based forum for plastic surgeons and dermatologists, released in January 2013, the strongest growth will be in the Asian market.

It is predicted that the Asian market, where nose and eyelid surgeries, as well as breast augmentation and liposuction are popular, will see a 14% growth.

Currently, the global market for plastic surgery has a value of around RM18 billion (US$6 billion), the IMCAS report said.

Middle East market

In Asia, China has the highest number of people undergoing cosmetic surgery, followed by Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

In Thailand, rhinoplasty, double eyelid and sex-change operations are most popular among foreign visitors from Asia and neighbouring countries like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Furthermore, a rising number of medical tourists from the Middle East is seeking cosmetic surgery in Thailand following a boom in demand in wealthy oil states such as the UAE, as well as in Lebanon and Iran.

The most sought-after procedures for this group in Thailand include male breast reduction, liposuction and rhinoplasty.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals are one of the main source markets for medical tourists to Thailand.

Of the 140,000 Arab patients visiting Thailand in 2011, 40% came from the UAE, and others mainly from Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar.

So crucial is this market that last year Thailand offered this group a visa fee exemption for medical purposes only.

Prices for cosmetic surgery in Thailand range from

Breast Augmentation: RM9,600 (US$3,200)

Breast Reduction: RM12,000 (US$4,000)

Breast Lift: RM9,600 (US$3,200)

Male Breast Reduction: RM8,400 (US$2,800)

Liposuction: RM5,400 (US$1,600)

Tummy Tuck: RM10,200) (US$3,400)

Body Lift: RM27,900 (US$9,300)

Full Facelift: RM21,600 (US$7,200)

Nose Reshaping: RM6,300 (US$2,100)

Nose Implant: RM 2,010 (US$670)

Eyelid Surgery: RM2,400 (US$600)

Botox Injection: RM1,200 (US$400)

Penile Surgery: RM4,500 (US$1,500)

Vaginal Surgery: RM2,490 (US$830)

Sex Change: RM27,000 (US$9,000)

Source: Hospital price lists

This report first appeared in http://www.investvine.com

source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com / FMT News / Home> Features / by Arno Maierbrugger / January 27th, 2014

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