Category Archives: Medical Tourism/Health Tourism

Najib launches RM320m Parkcity Medical Centre

Posted on September 25, 2013 | Comments Off on Najib launches RM320m Parkcity Medical Centre

Malaysia has seen a 20 per cent growth in health tourism over the past 3 years, generating almost RM600 million in revenue last year, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Malaysia’s medical tourism succeeds because of effective government regulation and Japan is one of the countries which has shown great interest in our medical tourism industry, said the prime minister.

Najib officiated the RM320 million 300-bed Parkcity Medical Centre at Desa Park City today, a joint venture between Sime Darby Bhd and Australia’s Ramsay Healthcare.

Meanwhile Bernama reported, Najib said at the officiating ceremony, local healthcare service providers need to regularly reinvent themselves and create opportunities for doctors and nurses to work without unnecessary barriers to stay relevant in dynamic healthcare marketplace.

The Prime Minister said it was the role of these professionals to be the catalysts for improvement, whilst ensuring that the needs and quality of care of patients remain the primary consideration.

He noted that strategic alliances between healthcare service providers would help advance the industry through the adoption of best practices and cross border clinical collaboration.

“As borders between countries become blurred with international cooperation, the potential gains are immeasurable. I urge healthcare service providers to leave no stone unturned in pursuing this potential.

“Becoming a regional healthcare hub ultimately creates more job opportunities and wealth, which benefit the economy and country as a whole,” he said in his speech when openeing the ParkCity Medical Centre (PMC) and the unveiling of Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care (RSDHC) logo, at Desa Park City here, today.

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Najib also said the Sime Darby and Ramsay Healthcare partnership would further boost Malaysia’s aims to be a regional healthcare provider and provided a solid platform for expansion in the Asian healthcare sector.

Najib said the prospect of reversing the international brain drain of medical professionals through medical tourism was also very positive.

“Local healthcare providers should leverage all the advantages on offer such as the government’s support, political stability, accessible travel, innovative and pioneering forms of treatment, readily available information over the internet, as well as pristine tourist destinations,” he added. — BERNAMA

source: http://www.nst.com.my / New Straits Times / Home> Latest News / September 17th, 2013

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Posted in 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

DHCC receives delegation of 55 top travel agents from Eastern Europe to promote medical tourism in Dubai

Posted on September 24, 2013 | Comments Off on DHCC receives delegation of 55 top travel agents from Eastern Europe to promote medical tourism in Dubai

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) has received from a delegation of over 50 leading travel agents from across Eastern Europe.

The visit, organised by the Department of Tourism and Commercial Marketing, was aimed at promoting Dubai as a leading tourism destination, and an opportunity for both parties to discuss DHCC’s Medical Tourism strategy.

DHCC is an established, internationally recognised centre of healthcare excellence, and has a particular focus on improving education and research and promoting medical tourism. In 2012, Dubai welcomed over 101,000 visitors from Eastern Europe, and the visit provided an opportunity for DHCC to promote Dubai as a destination for medical tourism, as well as discuss ways to attract more visitors from Central and Eastern Europe.

During the visit, the delegates toured DHCC and were given a presentation on DHCC’s Medical Tourism initiatives at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Centre, the education and research arm of DHCC, to further understand the world-class facilities available to both local and international patients, which are highly regulated and comparable to international standards.

DHCC also invited a number of its leading medical institutions to network and discuss medical tourism with the delegates, and highlight the importance of the industry for the UAE. Alongside its wide range of medical services, DHCC provides a range of benefits for medical tourists including Medical Indemnity Insurance and agreements with hotels.

Speaking about the visit, Marwan Abedin, CEO DHCC said, �We are delighted to welcome the delegation to DHCC. DHCC has established itself as a world-class destination for medical tourism, and we want to see the continued growth of this thriving industry. We want to ensure DHCC grows to become one of the world’s leading major international medical tourism hubs catering for the medical needs and wellbeing of international patients.’ Dr Wajdi Al Daghma, MD Strategy and Business Development for DHCC said, �DHCC has witnessed unprecedented growth in the past decade and has seen the inclusion of a large number of new medical facilities and professionals. We are constantly expanding and improving our health services and Dubai has all of the right elements to attract foreign patients.’ WAM/MN

source: http://www.wam.org.ae / wam – Emirates News Agency / Wam Dubai / September 14th, 2013

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

Medical tourism picking up in S Gujarat

Posted on September 22, 2013 | Comments Off on Medical tourism picking up in S Gujarat

Surat :

Dr Harshad Joshi, a knee replacement surgeon, would be performing nearly 200 surgeries during November-December.

Around 70 per cent of his patients who would be operated upon during this period are non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs) from the USA, the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Specialized and planned surgeries have become a lucrative business for the city doctors. Also medical tourism is picking up in south Gujarat.

Five years ago, just 10 per cent of NRGs from south Gujarat used to plan medical treatment to coincide with visit to their native places. Now, this percentage has gone up to 60 per cent, medical fraternity sources said.

In south Gujarat, the peak months for the NRG visit are November, December, January and February. It is during this period that the doctors work overtime to attend to the huge number of patients coming for ophthalmology, knee and joint replacements and spine surgeries.

“A simple Lasik treatment that costs $ 3,000 abroad can be done here for Rs 25,000. With falling rupee, it is not only affordable but more than affordable for the NRGs,” said Dr Paresh Vaidya, ophthalmologist.

A simple knee-joint implant is available for Rs 90,000 in India as against $80000 in foreign countries. As a result, many NRG patients, who are without insurance in the USA and the UK, pre-plan their treatment during the visit to their home towns in India.

Dr Harshad Joshi, a knee-replacement expert, told TOI, “The treatment here is affordable. It is a huge saving for the NRGs. We have started receiving bookings from NRIs in South Africa and the UK.”

Cervical disc surgery is done in Surat for Rs 1.5 lakh. But, it costs nothing less than $10,000 abroad.

“The cases of NRGs coming to India for spinal surgeries have gone up. It is not as big compared to knee-replacement or eye surgery cases, but there has been a steady 10 per cent increase year-on-year basis,” said Dr KC Jain, a neuro-surgeon.

source:  http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Surat> Medical Tourism / by Himanshu Bhatt & Melvyn Reggie Thomas, TNN / September 13th, 2013

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

Malaysia attracts 700,000 tourists for medical tourism

Posted on September 21, 2013 | Comments Off on Malaysia attracts 700,000 tourists for medical tourism

Kuala Lumpur :

Malaysia hopes to earn RM630 million from medical tourism this year from the rising number of patients flying in for healthcare, with 11 more hospitals being built to get a larger slice of the regional market.

Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) chief executive Dr Mary Wong has said the number of medical tourists jumped from 392,000 in 2010 to 671,000 in 2012.

The council expects to receive 700,000 medical visitors this year.

“This is the way forward. It is a very sustainable economic industry.

“Whether there is recession or no recession, in an up or down economy, when you’re not well, you need to see a doctor,” Dr Wong told a press conference in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya Thursday.

She said the government was confident that it can attract more medical tourists, citing the country’s relatively lower medical bills as a factor that would woo visitors.

Data from the council has shown the market growing in revenue from RM511 million in 2011 to RM594 million last year.

The global medical tourism market is worth from US$40 billion or RM130.2 billion to US$60 billion or RM195.3 billion with an estimated 7 million people flying annually to make such trips.

The agency’s lower expectation with its forecast this year stems from the gloomy economic conditions, with medical tourism viewed as a form of luxury for the affluent.

Analysts said it was not surprising for patients to delay non-emergency treatment during an economic downturn, as seen in neighbouring Thailand when its medical tourism industry earnings fell in 2008 after the global financial crisis hit.

In Malaysia, despite tough economic times the government is still pushing for the industry’s growth as one of the routes to generate income for the economy. (QNA)

source: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com / The Peninsula / Home / Friday – September 13th, 2013

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

Bali and Beyond Medical Tourism – BIMC Hospital Helps West Flores Create a Modern Emergency Medical Facility

Posted on September 20, 2013 | Comments Off on Bali and Beyond Medical Tourism – BIMC Hospital Helps West Flores Create a Modern Emergency Medical Facility

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BIMC Hospitals of Bali are working closely with the local Health Department of Manggarai Barat, East Nusa Tenggara to support the successful operation of Sail Komodo 2013. 

Renovating an existing government health clinic, the Bali-based hospitals are establishing international standard procedures for emergency room treatment of trauma patients.
The cooperation between BIMC, organizers of Sail Komodo 2013 and the regency government of Manggarai Barat will not only provide much-needed medical support to visiting yachtsmen but also achieve long-term better health care for the people of Labuhan Bajo.
Labuhan is the gateway to the Komodo National Park, exclusive home to the large dragon-like retiles found only in this area. Most tourists destined for the Komodo approach the Park via Labuhan Bajo’sKomodo Airport. The areas surrounding Labuhan Bajo contains a number of unique and interesting tourist sites, in addition to the popular national park located on a number of islands just to the west.
In renovating the existing community health center in Labuhan Bajo,BIMC Hospitals donated patient beds for the treatment and observation rooms, medical equipments for the consultation room,  created an emergency room, procedures room, ward rooms, a sterilization unit, an Advanced Life Support Ambulance and a stock of medical supplies.
“It is part of our commitment as the pioneer of Medical Tourism facility in Indonesia. We also aim to support medical services improvement in Indonesia,” said Deddy Suhartawan, the BIMC’s deputy general manager marketing.
To date, BIMC have spent approximately Rp. 550,000,000 on the Labuhan Bajo project.
In the lead up to Sail Komodo 2013, the Australian-owned and managed hospital sent a medical team to train the clinic’s staff.  The team will also be stationed at the clinic during the international sailing event, which will peak on September 14, 2013.
“The support (of BIMC) is very valuable for us and for the success of Sail Komodo 2013. We hope the cooperation will continue in the future,” said Dr. Imaculata Djelulut, head of Health Department of Manggarai Barat.
Sailors from all over the world will participate in Sail Komodo 2013 with 130 different countries registered to sail the waters of Eastern Indonesia.
source: http://www.balidiscovery.com / Bali Discovery Tours / Home> News / September 09th, 2013

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