MMedsolution – Medical Dental Tourism Resource On-line

BERLIN, May 20 — From liposuction in Athens to an eye operation in Dubai, the lucrative market in medical tourism is on the up, tempting ever more countries to look for ways to profit from foreign patient care.

“Everyone wants their share of the pie,” Sanjiv Malik, director of DM Healthcare, a Dubai-based network of hospitals, said at a recent conference on medical tourism attended by more than 300 professionals here.

The “pie” is getting bigger. Nearly three million patients go abroad for medical treatment every year. Turnover is expected to total 100 billion dollars in 2012, compared with 79 billion in 2010, and increase to 130 billion by 2015, according to global consultancy firm, KPMG.

The flows of medical tourists looking for cheaper and often quicker treatment than they can receive at home are traditionally well defined. Mexico draws US patients, while Thailand, India or Malaysia are the key destinations for Asians, and Hungarian dental care tends to be highly sought-after generally.

Germany draws wealthy Russians as well as nationals from the Gulf; well-off Africans go to France for medical care while residents of Latin America go to the US city of Miami.

Keith Pollard, of the specialist internet site Treatment Abroad, said that, generally speaking, “medical tourism is not global, it’s regional”.

However a growing number of countries and hospitals are aiming to turn it global. Shopping trip or museum visit included.

In Turkey “the government has taken the initiative to be one of the players” in a market which until now was dominated by the private sector, said Emin Cakmak, head of the Turkish medical tourism committee.

It has launched a demolition programme of old hospitals replacing them with facilities mostly destined for foreigners, likely to be patients from Arab and Gulf states. Dubai, keen to attract custom from neighbouring countries, has its own “medical zone”.

“Dubai was traditionally a country which sent patients (abroad), now it wants to host them,” Enric Mayolas, who manages the Barcelona Centro Medico which seeks to draw in foreign patients for about 20 hospitals in the Spanish city, said.

But Pollard warned that Dubai’s chances of success could be limited, identifying a problem that was common to other small countries wanting to become medical tourism destinations.

“Lots of Arab patients travel to Germany or the UK. Why? Because Germany has an 80 million population, doctors can practice, do research and get grants,” he said.

Christian Ott-Sessay, of the German hospital group, Vivantes, acknowledges that competition is stiff. “But the market is so big that it’s not competition at the expense of each other,” he said.

Vivantes is in the throes of equipping some of its Berlin clinics with “comfort rooms” for foreign patients with hotel staff to take care of their non-medical needs.

Berlin has also set up a hotline for visiting patients and especially their families to help them quickly organise non-medical tourism activities such as a shopping trip or visit to a museum.

Meanwhile, the Athens-based private hospital centre, Hygeia Group, focuses on tourism as a selling point. “Many people will come from Asia because they also want to see the Acropolis,” George Soras, of Hygeia’s marketing service, said.

He also said that prices were 70 per cent lower than the rest of the EU or US for cosmetic surgery or artificial limbs. However, the sector faces a raft of potential problems and risks.

Complications, ethical questions and the confidentiality of data all have to be taken into consideration, Malik said. Pollard also acknowledged that “the aftercare is lacking”.

“We have to fix that if we want medical travel to grow,” he warned. — Afp-Relaxnews

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/features/article/medical-tourism-sets-pulses-racing

Medical Tourism Resource Online

Steve Berg took a risk cashing in his life savings four years ago to start his own business. It is a risk that, so far, has paid off.

He opened Vegas Homebrew, 5140 W. Charleston Blvd., a beer- and wine-making supply store.

He had been brewing his own concoctions at his home in Portland, Ore., for nearly 20 years and decided to make his passion his work.

He created a business plan and researched potential locations, all while working as a pharmaceutical sales representative. He chose Las Vegas because his store would be the first of its kind, whereas Portland already had six stores, Berg said.

He did not make any money for the first eight months and lived on a friend’s couch during that time. But since those first shaky months, it has been increasingly profitable each year, he said.

“The toughest part was making the decision to do it,” Berg said. “I’ve got very old-school parents who think that getting a job and working for the same company for 35 years is the way to go. My parents were having a tough time with that.

“Every day coming to work is a treat for me. Here I’ve got a business. In the past, I’ve worked for large companies, and you take directions, whether you agree with the decisions or not. As an independent business owner, it’s entirely your decision. Granted, it’s a little bit risky; I appreciate the independence.”

Politicians are betting on the same entrepreneurial spirit that brought Berg to Las Vegas to help the local economy out of the recession.

City Councilman Steve Ross said he and others have worked to make it easier for entrepreneurs and small businesses to get started.

“You know as well as everyone in the world that we are in the bottom end of a recession,” Ross said at the White House Urban Economic Forum on March 29 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“This is probably the golden time for young people and even old people like me to think about starting a new business.

“They used to say home ownership is the American dream, which it still is, but you know what? Business ownership is the American dream, too. When people know they can work for themselves, provide for themselves and do something that makes them happy, it’s not a job, it’s fun, and I think now is the right time, now is the right economy to start up. ?

(W)e’re going to climb out of this thing. Those who get in the saddle (now) are going to make money.”

The forum focused on boosting small- business startups because of their importance in the United States economy.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all employers. They employ more than half of all private- sector workers and have generated two-thirds of the country’s new jobs in the past 15 years.

About seven out of 10 new businesses survive at least two years, half at least five years, one-third at least 10 years and one-quarter stay in business 15 years or more.

A study by the Brookings Institute outlined the strengths and weaknesses of Nevada regarding economic expansion.

The good: Nevada has a business-friendly environment and tax structure, light regulation and low costs for business startups. Industries with the highest potential to drive the economy include tourism, gaming, health and medical services, information technology and clean energy.

The bad: the lack of economic planning, need for better cooperation and a weak technology sector. Also noted was the lack of education in the workforce.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas offers entrepreneurship classes that walk students through the process, beginning to end. The Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering teamed with the Lee Business School to create collaborative entrepreneur projects. Engineering students design products, then business students develop business plans for them.

It all begins with an idea. Rotten bananas, for example.

Southwest-area resident and UNLV engineering student Alan Carreno created the Banana Box this spring with two classmates. It remedies the problem of a bushel of bananas becoming ripe, then rotten, at the same time.

It controls the temperature inside seven separate chambers, each holding a banana. The bananas ripen sequentially, so one ripe banana is available each day.

Business students may develop a business plan for the Banana Box beginning in the fall that will be presented at the Southern Nevada Business Plan and Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan competitions next spring.

Angela Douglas, who lives near Southern Highlands, was on the team that won first place at this year’s Governor’s Cup competition, held April 18 in Reno. Her team created a business plan for MASH Tool USA, a gardening tool designed to help dig and plow.

Douglas’ team is scheduled to compete Wednesday in the Tri-State Reynolds Cup competition against student teams from Oklahoma and Arkansas, with more than $100,000 in prize money available.

“We’re pursuing full patent protection, looking at suppliers and evaluating our financial situation,” Douglas said. “We’re doing all the things it takes to get a business up and off the ground. ? We really want to put this in peoples’ hands. Hopefully down the line we’re able to develop a consumer model.”

Douglas said she and other students have invested about $25,000 in the project, and they are seeking another $275,000 in investments.

Douglas credited her team’s success to the people involved more than the product itself.

“I would say the most important part of any venture like this is your team,” she said. “You can have a really great idea, but if you don’t have a great team, it’s a great idea that really can’t grow anywhere. If you have a great team, you can have a less-than-stellar product that can make it to the market.

“Team, first. Product, second. Then business plan.”

Earl McDowell, deputy administrator of the Employment Security Division of the Nevada Department of Employment, said the Nevada Governor’s Workforce Investment Board would make an effort to increase startups through incentive programs and changes in legislation.

“That’s where you’re going to see the growth, in the entrepreneurs,” McDowell said. “As a state, we make sure we provide the necessary training so they have a good, qualified workforce in those areas. ? That’s the quickest way to get the growth that you want in Nevada.”

There is one part missing, though. The most important thing entrepreneurs need is money, McDowell said. And that is not easy to come by in this economy.

Andrew Hardin, director of the UNLV Center for Entrepreneurship, said investors are slow to invest because “only one out of 10 of their investments will pay them back their return.”

“Most of the businesses will fail,” Hardin said. “It’s kind of a science. (Investors) have to depend on one to return their investments. That’s why they’re looking for a large rate of return. They’re not just looking to recoup from one investment.”

Hardin said that “lifestyle” businesses, such as dry cleaners or salons (or home brewery suppliers), are relatively simple to start because one person runs the business alone.

“Startups are notoriously difficult to get up and running,” Hardin said. “If you’re only paying yourself, you’ve got a good chance of success, especially if you don’t mind working 80 hours a week.”

Hardin used his background as an example. He started a commercial maintenance business and already owned all the tools he needed. He said he was able to file for a business license, get insurance and start working relatively quickly.

When serious cash is required to start a business, an angel can help.

Angels, or angel investors, are successful entrepreneurs who invest in startup businesses. Hardin said they usually fund business up to about $2 million.

Venture capital firms also invest in businesses but usually not until $7 million or more is needed, Hardin said.

For any aspiring entrepreneur, a business plan is a must, Hardin said. A plan should include a detailed industry analysis, market analysis, business model analysis, marketing plans and financial projections.

“I think it’s a pretty easy process in Nevada,” Hardin said. “We’re a very business-friendly state. I think now is one of the most exciting times there is. There’s a big, huge push for small businesses. Everybody I talk to is really excited about all these things going on.

“Are we Silicon Valley? No. We’re Las Vegas. And I think that’s a great place to start a business.”

http://www.lvrj.com/view/southwest-las-vegas-a-melting-pot-of-entrepreneurial-endeavors-152459255.html

Medical Tourism Resource Online

NEW YORK, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: The Outlook for Medical Devices in North East Asia http://www.reportlinker.com/p0865263/The-Outlook-for-Medical-Devices-in-North-East-Asia.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Managed_care Summary The eight Asian countries in this report represent a…

NEW YORK, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

The Outlook for Medical Devices in North East Asia

Summary

The eight Asian countries in this report represent a total market of 588 million people and a combined GDP of US$2.8 trillion in 2008

Business opportunities in Asian medical device equipment supply markets are very different from a few years ago. The traditional tiger economies, characterised by economic growth, free market environment, developed industry and investment in health and health infrastructure have had a long haul back from the financial instability and economic downturn in the 1990′s.

Tiger Cubs?

At the same time, markets that had hitherto excited little industry or investor interest, have emerged as real areas of opportunity for suppliers and service companies alike.

Diverse influences – from deregulation and better trade links to improved access and the rise of medical tourism – are seeing markets such as Malaysia and Vietnam take an increasingly important role in the region.

Sustained growth

With established western markets maturing, serious attention is being paid to the countries where manufacturers can see significant long-term growth. However, effective planning is vital, and impartial, thoroughly researched business data is essential to fully appreciate the current market status as a basis for future development.

These quarterly updated reports analyse the issues

That is why Espicom Business Intelligence has published these new management reports The Outlook for Medical Devices in South East Asia to 2013. Each report provides individual and highly-detailed analysis of each market, looking at the key regulatory, political, economic and corporate developments in the wider context of market structure, service and access.

The reports are available individually or as a discounted collection, and prices include 4 completely updated reports sent quarterly plus a comprehensive annual review.

Description

Detailed analysis of four health markets which account for 15% of the global medical device market and which present immense potential

Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan are ranked among the biggest medical device markets in the world. In 2011, these four countries collectively spent an estimated US$30.9 billion, representing 18.7% of the world market.

Diverse markets, diverse opportunities

These countries are currently undergoing different phases of development, both in overall terms and more pertinently, in the growth of their respective medical device markets.

Japan, South Korea and Taiwan represent highly-developed medical device markets with advanced healthcare systems and high levels of spending, both in the private and public sector.

This has inevitably placed a strain on governments, who have in recent years tried to temper escalating spending by introducing various cost containment strategies, including periodical price cuts/reimbursements for medical devices and equipment.

However, spending has continued to rise; key factors being the ageing demographic and the high standards of healthcare the population has grown to expect.

Japan and South Korea, in particular, have strong domestic manufacturing capabilities, especially for modern high-tech medical devices, but these countries continue to rely heavily on imports to meet demand.

China’s challenge is different

China’s healthcare provision is somewhat lacking when compared to the other three countries, but it remains one of the fastest growing medical device markets in the world, expanding at a rate of 13.1% in 2011.

This growth rate, along with the other countries, will be impacted by the global economic downturn, but compared to some other industries, the healthcare sector will not be as adversely affected as it is based on strong fundamentals.

The medical device sector growth continues to be backed by actual, and not artificial, demand which is not likely to change significantly. In January 2009 the Chinese government publicly pledged to spend 850 billion yuan (US$123 billion) to provide a universal primary medical service for the country’s 1.3 billion people.

China

China has the world’s largest population. In 2008, it was officially estimated at 1,328.0 million. The Chinese government expanded the health insurance programme to cover all rural residents by the end of 2008.

Urban health insurance was already well established, covering nearly all working citizens, and the government plans to cover all urban dwellers, including the unemployed and children who were not covered previously.

The Chinese medical device market is largely supplied by imports or products made locally by multinational joint ventures, especially at the higher end of the technology scale. The regulatory system has been notoriously difficult to negotiate successfully. In an attempt to remedy this, revisions to the registration process have been implemented.

Japan

The USA and Germany are the only countries to import more medical equipment than Japan, Conversely, Japan is the eighth highest exporter of medical devices in the world.

A rapidly ageing population has burdened the healthcare system both in terms of funding and facilities. As a result, payments made by the government to medical institutions have been slashed. The growing number of patients requiring long-term care and the advent of the elderly health insurance system offers great potential within the market.

Japan has the most expensive medical equipment in the world. It should however be borne in mind that some of the reasons for this lie with a distribution system that hikes up retail prices with hidden costs.

An awkward regulatory system, a slow approval process and cultural differences have often put off overseas investors, although recent legislation has attempted to address many access difficulties.

Taiwan

Along with South Korea, Taiwan is one of the richer ‘Asian Tiger’ economies. Per capita GDP is similar to New Zealand, and behind only Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia in the region.

Provision of healthcare is generally in the private sector. There is considered to be widespread overuse of services such as outpatient consultations and drug prescriptions. The government is looking at reducing this in a further attempt to control health insurance bills.

Imports supply around 75% of the medical equipment market. There is a growing domestic industry, which is becoming more sophisticated. However, local production remains fragmented and largely geared to supplying export markets.

Medical device regulation in Taiwan is bureaucratic and opaque. Regulations are broadly based on a US/Japanese risk-based approach, but the process can be unpredictable.

South Korea

Espicom estimates the South Korean medical market to achieve an annual growth of 10%. Based on this rate, the market will be worth US$8 billion by 2016. This makes it one of the world’s top 15 markets. South Korea has the highest healthcare expenditure of all the ‘Asian Tigers’, with an estimated 55% funded by the public sector.

The government has been forced to implement cost-cutting measures in recent years, owing to a large deficit faced by the healthcare system. This problem is exacerbated by a rapidly ageing population. South Korea’s FTA with the European Union (EU) is being finalised, and this will facilitate increased trade with the easing of tariff and non-tariff barriers between the two parties.

Bilateral trade reached US$98.4 billion in 2008. The EU is South Korea’s second largest trading partner after China and its largest foreign investor. South Korea is the EU’s eighth largest trade partner.

South Korea is predominantly supplied by imports, largely from the USA, Germany and Japan. Imports of medical devices have grown strongly in recent years, at a CAGR of 7% over five years to reach US$2.1 billion in 2009.

http://www.manufacturingdigital.com/press_releases/the-outlook-for-medical-devices-in-north-east-asia

Medical Tourism Resource Online

Fear and Medical Tourism in Vegas (Walter Eisner @ OTW)

Medical tourism is usually associated with foreign exotic places like India, Thailand and Costa Rica.

But Vegas? The metaphors are beyond tempting. One-armed bandits; what happens in Vegas…; gambling with your health; Fear and Healing in Vegas. Our gonzo-journalism hero, Hunter Thompson, would be inspired.

According to a story by Richard Velotta on May 16 in VEGASINC, a group called the Southern Nevada Medical Industry Coalition is in the process of drafting an asset analysis and a quality algorithm before writing a feasibility study on how to grow Southern Nevada’s $50 billion medical tourism industry as well as its $106 billion medical wellness industry.

Velotta writes that at a recent symposium an all-star panel of doctors agreed that “building on quality health care” and excelling at specialties and treatments people can’t get anywhere else are the most important elements in developing a thriving medical tourism industry.

Yevgeniy Khavkin, M.D., is a neurosurgeon at the Nevada Spine Institute, which markets in Russia, China and Middle East. Khavkin said Russian patients are convinced that the best medical care in the world is offered in the U.S. and he and his physician wife are more than willing to see their former countrymen as patients.

The asset analysis reported by Velotta would be an inventory of the medical specialties available in Southern Nevada while the quality algorithm would compare quality of care and treatment outcomes achieved in the area against peers nationwide.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority embraced the concept, hiring Cheryl Smith as a medical tourism sales manager. Smith told physician attendees at the symposium that they are now “brand ambassadors.” Smith, wrote Velotta, told the group, “You can manage their experiences when they’re here, and we want to give people a healthy reason to choose Las Vegas.”

Velotta cited the example of an existing specialty at the Gastric Band Institute, which offers surgical remedies for obesity. Such a specialty has what many consider to be a perfect medical tourism operation. Surgeries are short and relatively painless, but patients need to stay in the area for several days for post-surgical follow-ups.

Perhaps to have a walletectomy performed at one of the family friendly casinos. They could also save the stem cells from the gastric procedure and prepare them for regenerative therapies. Your fat stays in Vegas, but you take the stem cells home.

Panelists agreed that as the reputation of medical professionals in Las Vegas becomes more widely known, more specialists will consider moving to the city. But they better sharpen up their skills as brand managers.

We’d love to hear from our readers which specialty medical services they’d suggest to the coalition.

http://orthostreams.com/2012/05/las-vegas-is-becoming-a-medical-tourism-destination-for-spine-surgery/

Medical Tourism Resource Online

UOB Kay Hian said Singapore’s tourism and hospitality sector is expected to benefit from strong visitor arrivals to the city-state.

UOB forecast visitor arrivals to reach 17 million by 2015, showing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5 percent, higher than the historical 15-year CAGR of 4 percent.

“The market has underestimated visitor arrival growth potential, especially from the new growth avenues brought in by low-cost carriers, the International Cruise Terminal and new attractions including the River Safari at Mandai and Gardens by the Bay,” UOB said.

The growth is supported by Singapore’s growing stature as a major destination for gaming, medical tourism, as well as meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, the broker said.

It maintained its “overweight” rating on the tourism and hospitality sector. Its stock picks were Ascott Residence Trust , CDL Hospitality Trusts, Genting Singapore Plc, Raffles Medical Group Ltd and Starhill Global REIT.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/23/stocksnews-singapore-uob-tourism-idUSL4E8GN15A20120523

Medical Tourism Resource Online

India spends only 0.9% of GDP on public health, merely one-third of the less developed countries’ average, says a WHO report. This has encouraged private health care, which is largely inaccessible to most of the public.

Ram Manohar, a poor farmer, has walked some 10 kilometers to reach the nearest public health care center in his village in the east Indian state of Orissa.

The drugs necessary to cure his ailment are out of stock, so he receives a simple painkiller and a drip of glucose instead. In another case, Aditya, a corporate executive, gets admitted into a state-of-the-art private hospital for a stomach upset. He gets the best treatment, paid for by his medical insurance.

The two cases show a gaping disparity in India’s health services, considered to be one of the most privatized in the world, according to a report by India’s Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA).

The rich pay while the poor suffer

Plasma bottles filled with blood hanging up on a rack

Money buys the best healthcare in India

The CBGA’s report says that rural health centers, which form the backbone of the Indian public health system, have almost collapsed. They lack the basic infrastructure, staff and essential medicines.

Instead of strengthening them, the government is subsidizing private companies who plan to establish so-called “super-speciality” hospitals to attract tourists from abroad.

Poorer patients do not visit these centers, fearing they will not get good treatment and are forced to go to private hospitals for better medical care.

“To meet the expenses they have to sell their house, or piece of land. Spending on health care is fast becoming a common cause of debt in India. It has, in a way, favored the monopoly of private hospitals,” says Dr Puneet Bedi , an obstetrics and gynecology consultant at the Apollo Hospital in New Delhi.

But, as Dr Mala Airun of the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital in Jaipur believes, “Private hospitals charge for the quality of services they provide to the patients and have therefore become the first choice compared to a government hospital that fails to meet the basic infrastructural standard.”

Dr Bedi believes that the public health system has failed to focus on the key health issues like nutrition, hygiene and communicable disease control.

Private hospitals have come forward to bridge this gap by conducting free medical camps for the poor, even in remote areas, Dr Mala Airun points out.

However, social activist Saswati Swetlana thinks that such camps are merely a drop in the ocean, because with the privatization of the health sector, only those who can pay for it, have a chance to get healthy again.

Medical monitoring device for hartbeat and brain waves

India’s poor need better access to health care, according to a government report

Dr Airun strongly suggests a micro-insurance scheme to cope with this disparity in health care. She says the government should act as an insurer for poorer patients:

“This scheme would help the poor get access to quality health care at a private hospital, and because the hospital is being paid it can provide equal services to poor and rich.”

She adds that privatization may help reduce the load in government hospitals and patients would be assured good service because private hospitals maintain a certain standard.

Medical tourism catches on

Private health organizations focus on profit. The three big money earners for private hospitals are heart, infertility and cancer treatments. Treatments for such diseases along with medical tourism is becoming a big source of income for several private hospitals in India.

According to a study in 2004, India could earn nearly two billion US dollars annually by 2012 through medical tourism. According to Dr. Bedi, the government provides land to companies at inexpensive rates to build fancy private hospitals and allow the import of medical equipment.

While government hospitals are not trying to attract tourists coming to India for health services, their inefficiency is indirectly promoting privatization.

Meanwhile, the health care system for the general population in India remains dismal. “Health tourism is in stark contrast to our basic health service where even iron tablets are not available to women dying of anemia,” Dr Bedi criticizes.

http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15969421,00.html

Medical Tourism Resource Online

In a wide-open race that will define the nation’s future political course, Egyptian voted Thursday on the second day of a landmark presidential election that will produce a successor to longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak.

In a wide-open race that will define the nation’s future political course, Egyptian voted Thursday on the second day of a landmark presidential election that will produce a successor to longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Voters lined up outside some polling centers, but the morning turnout was generally weaker than the previous day’s, when long lines formed outside polling centers more than an hour before they opened.

The government has given employees Thursday off to bolster the turnout.

The two-day vote marked the end of decades of authoritarian rule, although concerns remained that the nation’s military rulers who took over after Mubarak would try to retain influence.

Egyptians were hopeful as they waited patiently for their chance to cast a ballot in the Arab world’s first competitive presidential election.

“The revolution has won us the right to freely elect our president,” said housewife Doaa Nasr, referring to the 18-day uprising that toppled Mubarak’s 29-year regime 15 months ago.

“No one can now take this right away from us,” she said as she waited in line to vote in Cairo’s Zeitoun district.

There are 13 candidates in the race, including Islamists, liberals and former regime figures. No one is expected to win more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round Wednesday and Thursday, setting the stage for a run-off June 16-17 between the top two finishers. A winner will be announced June 21.

The generals who took control after Mubarak was ousted have promised to hand over power by July 1, repeatedly assuring critics that they have no wish to remain in charge.

There are fears, however, that they could retain significant powers on matters of national security and key foreign policies.

The landmark election, considered the freest and fairest in Egypt’s history, is wide open. The reliability of polls is uncertain, and of the 13 candidates have bounced around the top spots, although none of them has emerged as a clear front-runner.

The two leading secular contenders are both veterans of Mubarak’s regime – former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq and former foreign minister Amr Moussa.

The main Islamist candidates are Mohammed Morsi of the powerful and well-organized Muslim Brotherhood, and Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh, a moderate Islamist whose inclusive platform has won him the support of some liberals, leftists and minority Christians.

Some voters are backing the Mubarak-era veterans, believing they can bring stability after months of rising crime, a crumbling economy and deadly street clashes under military rule.

Others were horrified by the thought, believing the “feloul” – or “remnants” of the regime – will keep Egypt locked in dictatorship and thwart democracy.

Islamists have jumped into the political fray, seizing the chance to lead a country where they were repressed for decades. Led by the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamists dominated parliamentary elections, winning nearly three-quarters of the seats.

But the Islamists’ popularity has since waned as many Egyptians fear they seek to monopolize power and impose a theocracy.

An alternative to both the Islamists and the Mubarak-era candidates in the figure of leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, who has claimed the mantle of Egypt’s late president, the populist Gamal Abdel-Nasser.

An Islamist victory, particularly by Morsi, will likely mean a greater emphasis on religion in government. Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, which already dominates parliament, says it won’t mimic Saudi Arabia and force women to wear veils or implement harsh punishments like amputations.

But it says it does want to implement a more moderate version of Islamic law, which liberals fear will mean limitations on many rights.

As was the case in the weeks leading up to the election and on the vote’s opening day, the debate among the voters continued Thursday up till the last minute outside polling centers, something that points to the closeness of the race and the enthusiasm among Egyptians voting freely for their leader for the first time.

“I like the personality of Shafiq. He is strong enough to lift the country,” said Suheir Abdel-Moamen, one of several women standing in line waiting to vote in the middle class Cairo district of el-Zawiya al-Hamra.

Somaiya Imam, still undecided on who to vote for, replied with a reference to Islamist candidates, saying: “Don’t you think we should vote for the candidate who holds the Quran?”

“We voted for them before and they let us down. They want everything – the presidency, parliament and government. They are never satisfied,” Abdel-Moneim responded.

A woman standing behind the two chipped in: “But he (Shafiq) is a Mubarak’s associate.”

Shafiq, a former air force chief and Mubarak’s last prime minister until he too was forced out by protests, has been openly disparaging of the pro-democracy youth groups who led the uprising.

Critics accuse him of being too cozy with the generals who took over from Mubarak, and question a reputation that is tainted by human rights abuses and authoritarian tendencies.

But with his strongman image, he has appealed to Egyptians who crave stability and fear Islamists.

Shafiq was met by several dozen protesters screaming “down with the feloul” as he arrived to vote in an upscale neighborhood east of Cairo on Wednesday afternoon.

Some protesters showed their contempt by holding up their shoes in his direction. On his way out, some mobbed him, swinging their shoes at him as his security hustled him into his car.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018264508_apmlegyptelection.html

Medical Tourism Resource Online

With technology taking over almost every aspect of our lives, can the medical industry be left behind? In fact, Ahmedabad, in particular, is doing well in the field of medical tourism.

There is believed to be a boom in the medical sector in the city. Not only big institutes but also mid-level organisations are competing to offer state-of-the-art facilities to patients.

The number of patients going for joint replacement surgeries – knee or hip – is going up by the day.

Talking to DNA, city-based orthopaedic surgeon Dr Kalpan Desai said, “On an average, there are minimum 25-30 patients for kneeor hip joint replacement surgeries.

There is no dearth of patients requiring surgery. Initially, people with such problems were reluctant to undergo surgery.

However, when they talk to their peers and learn about the benefits of undergoing a surgery they get ready for it.”

Dr Desai added that last decade’s statistics showed that there were many patients who underwent surgery for either osteoarthritis or osteoporosis and the success rate is around 96%.

Medical tourism in Gujarat has been at its peak lately, as not only NRIs but foreign nationals visit Gujarat to undergo high-end surgeries.

Availability of low-cost, state-of-the-art infrastructure along with well-trained experts, makes India a hot destination for patients wanting to undergo knee and hip joint replacement surgery.

The senior vice-president of a city-based hospital said that the hospital operates upon 6,000-7,000 patients a year or around 30 surgeries a day. Patients from across the state come to this hospital for their corrective surgeries, he added.

He added that surgeons during the operations the hospital are asked to wear space suits so as to keep the operation theatre infection free.

The surgeons here are thorough professionals who have been in this field for quite some time now. There is a long waiting list of patients to undergo knee and hip joint replacement surgeries most of the time.

Patients not only from across India, but also from UK, USA, Tanzania for undergoing surgeries, he said.

He further confirmed that the technology has reached its pinnacle with knee joint or hip joint surgery patients walking just an hour after the operation.

After 15 days of the surgery, patients are allowed to go home as he or she can get the stitch removal procedure done from any of the hospital’s centres later. Post surgery, the patients can consult their doctors or surgeons, with the help of telemedicine.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_knee-and-hip-joint-replacement-becoming-common-by-the-day_1692767

Medical Tourism Resource Online

Constellation Communications & Events, an Indian arm of Lifeline Healthcare, Dubai is organizing a Two Day Certificate Program for medical tourism professionals at the Hotel Holiday Inn in Mumbai on June 1-2, 2012.

Constellation Communications & Events has roped in speaker, trainer, and chartered consultant Dr Prem Jagyasi to conduct this workshop.

The timings for the workshop will be from 10 AM – 5 PM and the fee for the workshop is Rs 10,000,

This Course aims to provide numerous benefits for the tourism sector including an opportunity to understand,the connecting thread between Tourism & Medical Tourism industry.

Marketing and branding tips for organisations among the right audiences, learning key strategies while making marketing plan for better business development through international patients travelling to India.

An pportunity to meet hospitals and medical tourism companies to understand the feasibility of joint venture with them, gain insights on legal & ethical issues involved in Medical Tourism as well as learn how to overcome the challenges involved in business development while dealing with international patients.

http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/dr-prem-jagyasi-to-conduct-twoday-certificate-workshop-on-medical-tourism-in-june-2012-16499

Medical Tourism Resource Online

HYDERABAD: Tribal medicines and herbs to cure illness will soon be dispensed for the general public and tourists at Araku, a hot tourism destination in Visakhapatnam.

Specialised traditional healers will provide medicines for bone fracture, arthritis and several other health problems, including medicine for snake bite and scorpion sting.

A Common Facilitation and Wellness Centre on 20-acre of land is being proposed to set up by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (Trifed) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India where the medicines will be made available.

Trifed managing director Jiji Thomson informed this at a programme organised at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) here on Wednesday to release a survey report on ‘Diet and Nutritional status of tribal population and prevalence of hypertension among adults’ brought out by the National Nutrition and Monitoring Bureau ( NNMB).

Thomson said Trifed would establish a green house to produce saplings of selected proper variety of plants. At the wellness centre, modern machinery will be set up for preparation of herbal drugs from local grown species.

The wellness centre will be established at a cost of Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore and the basic infrastructure could be ready in six months as land has already been identified for it. Thomson said in Uttarkhand, it was proposed to set up a centre of textiles, to sell tribal products.

Shawls in contemporary style could export to Europe, he said. Similarly in Jagdalpur in Chattisgarh, a centre would be established where minor forest produce, handicrafts and other products would be sold. There was a plan to make use of land in Navi Mumbai also for promoting tribal products, he said.

Thomson said there are 35 outlets all over the country, including one in Hyderabad, where tribal products were being sold. Measures will also be taken to patent tribal produce and products, he said.

Earlier speaking at the function, M K Bhan, secretary, department of biotechnology said when designing health programmes, it was important to have an understanding of the complete environment in which the targeted population lives.

He pointed out that 35 per cent of the Indian population, including tribals and those living away from cities had a lifestyle of their own which had to be understood.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director general and secretary, Department of Health Research said tribals face specific problems and their survival wisdom has also to be understood and documented.

NIN director B Sesikeran said surveys had shown the spread of non-communicable diseases even among tribals and that should be a cause for concern.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-24/hyderabad/31838344_1_tribal-products-trifed-tribal-affairs

Medical Tourism Resource Online