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Some of the top Greek businesses of the medical and hotel field joined their forces for the first time, participating in the organization of the first event to promote Greek Medical tourism in Russia, under the title Greek Medical Tourism … Continue reading
Despite its super-specialty hospitals and world class health infrastructure, Bangalore is far behind Chennai in attracting international patients.
While Chennai sees a minimum of 200 international patients every day, Bangalore has an estimated 10-15.
According to a study on medical tourism in India by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and McKinsey, medical tourism market in India is valued to be worth over $310 million with 1,00,000 foreign patients coming in every year.
Of this, Chennai attracted 40 per cent of the patients. The report says the medical value travel or medical tourism is the key driver for Indian health care sector.
“World class treatment at almost 1/10th of the cost with no waiting time for surgeries as compared with advanced nations like the UK and the USA have been instrumental in a large number of foreign arrivals to access health care services in India,” the report said.
“Flight connectivity to Chennai from United States, Middle East and other countries is much better than Bangalore. This is one of the major reasons why Bangalore’s medical tourism industry is still only picking up,” said N Prabhu Dev, chairman, Karnataka State Health Commission.
“In 2012, Bangalore hospitals had around 1,000 international patients.”
In 2012-13, Manipal Group of Hospitals treated 800 in-patients and 4,100 out patients in the departments of oncology, nephro-urology and cardiology.
“We had patients who came in for spinal surgeries, orthopaedic intervention and In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). They were primarily from Africa (central and east), Middle East, including Iraq and Iran, Mauritius, Maldives, Australia and Sri Lanka,” said Dr Sudarshan Ballal, medical director, Manipal Hospitals.
Around 15 patients were treated at Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in 2012.
“This year we have treated seven international patients,” said Dr C N Manjunath, director of the hospital.
He said the trend of medical tourism in Chennai started much earlier than Bangalore. “Several hospitals in Chennai have signed MoUs with the governments of African countries Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya. So, they automatically send their citizens there for treatment. Most hospitals in Bangalore do not have such tie-ups,” he said.
Explaining why the industry is only yet to pick up in the city, Dr Dev said better facilities must be provided in city hospitals to house caregivers, who accompany international patients.
“Most patients who come for medical intervention have a prolonged recovery period. In such a situation, the hospital authorities must also take care of the comfort of attenders and the kith and kin who accompany medical tourists,” he said.
Dr Abhijit Barve, president (R&D), Biocon Research Centre, said the segment is yet to be looked at, and developed.
“Medical tourism focuses only on chronic and life threatening conditions. This gives us a segment of people who seek specific treatment and intervention. The market has to be explored further,” he said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Sharadha Kalyanam – Bangalore / May 19th, 2013
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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Reports,Features, Statistics
A patient undergoing facial acupuncture at Kwangdong Oriental Hospital in Seoul. Industry insiders in South Korea say Singapore, as an established medical tourism destination, will pose keen competition. — PHOTO: KWANGDONG ORIENTAL HOSPITAL
Medical clinics and hospitals in South Korea are on a major drive to woo foreign patients, including those from Singapore and the region.
They are joined by medical travel agencies, “book a doctor” portals and hotels, which are tying up with the clinics to offer their guests lower treatment rates.
The effort, however, will not be a walk in the park, said industry insiders in South Korea, because Singapore, as an established medical tourism destination, will pose keen competition.
Singapore Tourism Board figures show foreigners spent about $1 billion on medical treatments here in 2011.
Before you fly…
FAST facts for a medical traveller to South Korea
IN 2012
About 156,000 medical tourists visited South Korea. People from China, the United States, Russia and Japan led the way. The top five services foreign patients bought were:
HOT SPOTS
Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province treat more than 70 per cent of the foreign patients. Busan is next. In Seoul, 154 dermatology clinics, 319 plastic surgery clinics and 317 dental clinics take in foreign patients.
PRECAUTIONS
The Korea Tourism Organization recommends taking these steps:
Unsatisfactory service may be reported to the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency.
Source: Korea Tourism Organization
source: http://www.straitstimes.com / The Sunday Times / Home> Breaking News> Singapore> Story / by Poon Chian Hui / May 18th, 2013
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Posted in Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Health/Medical Tourism Boards, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Medical Treatment/Health Treatment Subject By Speciality, Reports,Features, Statistics, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas
Spain’s Costal del Sol is set to become an international health tourism hub for patients from around the world thanks to the lower costs and good reputation of medical facilities across Andalusia.
The ambitious project could bring between €250 to 300 million to the province every year from healthcare payments alone. Photo:Saludand/Flickr
Public and private healthcare providers from the UK, Holland, Norway, Finland, Germany, China, Indonesia and Russia will start sending patients to Spain’s sunny Costa del Sol in the next few months, Andalusian daily Sur reported on Monday.
Fundación Málaga Health and Tourism & Health Spain are the two companies behind a deal which will allow international patients to be treated and operated on in Spanish clinics.
They also hope to bring between €250 to 300 million to the province every year from healthcare payments alone.
“Spain has a service-based economy and healthcare is the most highly regarded sector in the country,” Miguel Such, surgeon and driving force behind the campaign, told online newspaper Málaga Hoy.
“We’ve never taken advantage of this. We think it will help to create a sustainable tourism model that doesn’t depend on seasons. It will also bring prestige to brand Spain.”
Such plans to make Malaga one of 55 cities around the world that make a whopping €70 billion a year from health tourism.
The Malaga-based surgeon thinks Spain has gained prominence for its excellent medical system that offers low cost and quality medical treatment to Spanish patients.
“The government has invested a lot in the country’s healthcare, now’s the time to reap the benefits.”
With nearly 4,500 private hospital beds and 42 per cent of Andalusia’s four and five star hotels, Malaga has the third highest number of both private healthcare and hotel facilities in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona.
Competitive prices for treatment and regular flights make it an even better deal for foreign healthcare providers.
“The British market is our first target, because in the UK the Costa del Sol is very well-known,” Jesús Burgos, spokesperson for Tourism & Health Spain, told Andalusian daily Sur.
source: http://www.thelocal.es / The Local – Spain / Home> News & Features / by Alex Dunham (alex.dunham@thelocal.com ) / May 13th, 2013
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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism
Cabinet has approved the construction of a US$200 million medical facility in St. James, as the Government looks to tap into the multi-billion dollar global health tourism industry.
Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson, who made the announcement in an interview with JIS News, said that construction of the facility represents the first formal health tourism project for Jamaica.
The project, he said, will be spearheaded by members of the Diaspora, through an established partnership with the Government of Jamaica (GoJ).
According to the Health Minister, Jamaica represents the best possibilities and opportunities for health tourism, not just based on geographical location and the strength of the tourism product, but also the improved road network characterised by modern highways, and the first class airports.
He further pointed to the “impressive reputation” of Jamaican doctors and nurses in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, as well as the inexpensive costs of certain medical services offered in the island in comparison to other countries.
Dr. Ferguson told JIS News that the Government is working on creating the framework to support health tourism.
Focus is being placed on developing the information technology platform, he said, “because it is not just giving service, but we must be in a position to be able to take onboard, in a fulsome way, telemedicine.”
He said that arrangements must also in place to facilitate mobility in the use of health insurance by tourists and international partners, who will be coming to Jamaica for medical services.
source: http://www.inewsgy.com / i News Guyana / Home> Other Stories / by Toni-Ann Rankine, JIS Reporter / May 14th, 2013
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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism
