MMedsolution – Medical Dental Tourism Resource On-line

There are many people who are crossing borders for cost-effective and specialized medical treatments. One of the places that many patients visit is Thailand.

The country has become one of the top medical tourism centers of the world. It is the leader of medical travel in Asia since it holds more than 40 percent market share of the Asian medical tourism industry.

The number of people visiting Thailand for treatment has been increasing rapidly since 2000 because the country not only offers low-cost medical services but also has an excellent tourism infrastructure.

The country is thus popular especially among travelers from North America and Europe for whom Thailand is easily accessible. Several airlines in UK for instance offer flights to Thailand from London at low prices making the medical trip all the more cost effective.

Another reason why people visit Thailand for treatment is because there are hundreds of hospitals in Thailand that offer high quality services to patients. Today, there are more than 15 hospitals in Thailand that are accredited by JCI.

Most medical tourists prefer local private hospitals because they have experienced and trained doctors and surgeons. Some of the most respected private hospitals in Thailand include Bumrungrad International Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Group (BHG) and Samitivej Hospitals.

Even though the private facilities in Thailand are expensive when compared to public hospitals, the price charged by them is much lower than the prices in hospitals in Western countries.

The total cost of a bypass surgery for instance in a good private hospital in Thailand is about $12,000. However, if the same surgery is done in United States the cost is more than $130,000.

Since there is a big price difference, many people who cannot afford treatment in their country prefer visiting Thailand.

Most hospitals in Thailand strive to create comfortable atmosphere for foreign patients. Both private and public hospitals thus have translators who can speak several foreign languages.

Many doctors and surgeons receive their education and training in USA and Europe. Many of the medical centers also offer private transportation from hotel to the hospital, regular checks on patients who are recuperating from surgery and emergency medical assistance upon arrival and departure.

http://www.tourism-review.com/thailand-holding-40-of-asian-medical-tourism-market-news3202

Medical Tourism Resource Online

It was in the mid-2000s when South Korean plastic surgeon Joo Kwon noticed a trickle of Chinese women walking into his clinic, even though he hadn’t advertised overseas.

“They somehow found a way to the clinic… and nearly all of them said they want the face of Lee Young-Ae,” Joo said, referring to a top South Korean actress who starred in the pan-Asian hit drama “Jewel in the Palace”.

The trickle has now turned into a flood of Chinese packing Joo’s JK Plastic Surgery Centre — one of the country’s largest — and many other clinics, lured by the looks of South Korean entertainers who have taken Asia by storm.

A Hallyu (Korean wave) of pop culture over the past decade has won a devoted fan base in China, Southeast Asia and Japan. The South’s TV dramas dominate prime-time airwaves and K-pop bands sell out concerts and top the charts.

Legendary TV hits like “Winter Sonata” and “Autumn Fairy Tale” help draw tens of thousands of foreign fans to filming locations in South Korea every year, boosting the tourism industry.

Now skilled plastic surgeons in the looks-obsessed South — who often helped beautify Korean stars in the first place — are enjoying an unexpected boom as they do the same for their foreign fans.

According to government data, overall medical spending by foreign visitors hit a record $116 million last year. Fourteen percent sought plastic surgery or skin treatments such as botox.

Almost a half of all foreigners seeking a nose job, a facelift, a jawbone reduction or a tummy tuck were from China.

Their number nearly tripled from 1,657 in 2009 to 4,400 in 2010.

“The Hallyu boom has definitely played a key role in drawing new patients from abroad,” said Hong Jeong-Geun, spokesman for the Korea Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.

Hong said many star-struck foreigners visit clinics with photos of celebrities like Kim Hee-Sun, a popular actress in Asia, and ask surgeons to emulate her nose angle or eyes.

“They understand that some stars, rather than born beautiful, were made beautiful with a little bit of help from plastic surgeons,” Hong said.

Cut-throat competition among the country’s growing number of plastic surgeons — who now number some 1,700 — made them even more aggressive in trying to lure new clients, he said.

Joo’s clinic in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district — home to more than 400 plastic surgery and skin-treatment clinics — is at the forefront of such efforts.

About a half of its customers are non-Koreans, from China, Japan, the Middle East and even Africa. Patients picked up at the airport by limousines are greeted by staffers who speak English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or Mongolian.

Joo declined to give the total number of patients at his clinic but said 10 doctors perform dozens of surgeries every day.

The clinic recently opened its own hotel to better serve deep-pocketed foreigners who spend an average of about 20 million won ($17,675) to get multiple surgery during a single visit.

“I think there’s a good chance that plastic surgery can become South Korea’s new major export industry,” said Joo.

Customers like Anny Guo are highly sought after.

The daughter of a construction firm CEO in the northeastern Chinese city of Jilin, she flew to Seoul to get a nose job and make her high cheekbones less prominent.

Her parents gave her 100,000 yuan ($15,860) after she begged them for months.

“I want to have a face and skin like Song Hye-Gyo…or nose like Han Ga-In,” the 24-year-old college student told AFP, referring to popular South Korean actresses.

Many South Korean TV shows are aired with subtitles on Chinese websites only a day after being screened in Seoul.

“Most of my friends who watch South Korean dramas want to come here to get surgery. They think plastic surgeons here are the best in Asia,” said Guo.

Policymakers have eased regulations, allocated a greater budget, staged presentations overseas and given awards to successful clinics to promote all kinds of medical tourism.

“Medical tourism, plastic surgery included, will be a new growth driver for our economy….and the popularity of our stars is helping us a lot,” said Jung Eun-Young, deputy director of the health ministry’s policy department.

Even cosmetic surgeons, however, have some reservations.

Joo Kwon said it was undesirable that more and more Koreans are seeking such operations.

“I think South Korea has a very rigorous and narrow definition of beauty because we’re an ethnically homogenous society and everyone looks pretty much the same. It is also related to low self-esteem,” he said

“I think the situation will somewhat moderate in future as society becomes more diverse. But it will take quite a bit of time until we get there.”

http://www.eturbonews.com/28800/chinese-tourists-flock-south-korea-celebrity-looks/

Medical Tourism Resource Online

AFP – After Fabrice Muamba collapsed and almost died while playing for Bolton Wanderers a month ago, there were renewed calls for more stringent medical checks for professional athletes.

Those calls are only set to increase following the death of Italian footballer Piermario Morosini aged just 25 on Saturday after he suffered a heart-attack while playing for Livorno against Pescara.

There have been several high-profile cases of players dying while playing what is not just a sport but a form of entertainment.

Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe is the most high-profile casualty, collapsing during the Confederations Cup in 2003.

Ex-Spain defender Antonio Puerta and former Scotland international Phil O’Donnell died just four months apart in 2007.

In 2004, then Hungary international Miklos Feher and Brazilian defender Serginho both collapsed and died on a pitch.

While rare, such cases receive huge publicity due to the popularity and profile of football.

And as ever with such tragedies there are calls to improve health and safety at sports events.

Such advancements happened after boxers Michael Watson, in 1991, and Gerald McClellan, four years later, were left paralysed after suffering blood clots on their brains during title fights.

The calls for a health and safety review will be made in Italy now but this is a country where such things are already taken very seriously.

Back in 1969 forward Giuliano Taccola died of heart failure in the Cagliari dressing room while Perugia striker Renato Curi died of a heart-attack during a match against Juventus in 1977.

Italy learnt from those incidents and currently employs compulsory cardiac screening for young athletes in organised sport.

An adult cannot even join his local martial arts or boxing club without first getting a medical check-up.

Already back in 1989 the Italians were prepared for such eventualities as ex-international Lionello Manfredonia recounts.

He suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch in 1989 when playing for Roma against Bologna, an episode that ended his career.

“Professional sportsmen are always monitored, for Morosini it was a sad destiny,” said Manfredonia.

“I remember my illness, there was an ambulance in the stadium and I was lucky enough to be saved, whereas Morosini didn’t have the same luck, although it seems to me that he didn’t have enough time.

“I was watching the game because I like Pescara and it was a similar episode to mine.

“I don’t know exactly what happened to me, they said it was an infarction but further tests didn’t confirm that.

“Six months later I no longer had my playing licence and maybe that was for the best.”

In October last year when AC Milan’s Antonio Cassano complained of feeling ill after a match against Roma, he was immediately taken to hospital and underwent tests over several days.

It was discovered he’d suffered a minor stroke due to a heart defect.

He had heart surgery and spent months recovering before he was finally given the all clear to resume playing earlier this month.

But that wasn’t until he had passed a number of checks to demonstrate he was fit to undertake rigorous physical exercise that his licence was restored.

The Italians themselves insist they take every precaution necessary.

Morosini’s youth team coach at Atalanta claimed there had never been any signs of a problem during the player’s formative years.

“There was never the slightest problem in the medical tests he took,” said Mino Favini.

“We’re obliged to make annual controls and verifications and he never had a problem.”

However, the Minister for Tourism and Sport Piero Gnudi said more still needs to be done.

“The recent repetition of this type of dramatic event must alert us to the need to do everything possible to guarantee accurate and frequent medical controls to limit in every way the possibility that similar episodes happen again,” he said.

http://www.france24.com/en/20120415-footballer-death-brings-medical-testing-focus

Medical Tourism Resource Online

KARACHI:
“Every country, except Pakistan, is concerned with medical tourism,” say doctors, who bemoan the fact that our government is sleeping over a golden opportunity.

Medical tourism – a buzzword in global healthcare – is a term used to describe the worldwide trend of people travelling across international borders to obtain healthcare.

India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand and Dubai are some of the top destinations to where patients flock to to get better treatment.

Gynaecologist Sadiah Pal says there is no need for Pakistanis, at least, to travel abroad for treatment; she believes that Pakistan has specialists and high-quality hospitals where comparable care is available.

Pal says the cost for infertility treatment abroad can range between Rs2.5-3 million, while the same treatment in Pakistan costs around Rs0.2 million.

“Some patients who come from the US are those who don’t have insurance cover there; and so, they come here [for treatment],” she says.

She says the government, if it wants, can jump onto the medical tourism bandwagon and market it like other countries do.

“We too have the best doctors and hospitals. We just need to package it right; like it is being done in India. They throw in a sightseeing tour and a massage therapy session along with the treatment.”

Pakistan Medical Association Sindh President Dr Samrina Hashmi says there is huge potential for Pakistan in becoming a hub for medical tourism, like so many other countries in its neighbourhood.

“Already, a number of patients from places such as the Middle East, UK and US seek a range of treatments in Pakistan; these include cardiac surgery, infertility treatments and cosmetic surgery,” she says.

Costs for treatment in Pakistan are more than 50% of what doctors and hospitals charge abroad, she explains. At the moment, most foreign patients who come here for treatment are of Pakistani origin.

In the past, a sizable number of such globe-trotting patients came here for kidney transplants. “However, these cases have gone down since legislation came into place to regulate the illegal trade of selling kidneys,” she says.

Hashmi says medical tourism can be a huge opportunity for Pakistan if the government focuses on key issues. “Just improve the security situation here, and you’ll see that people from all over the world will skip places like Thailand to seek healthcare in Pakistan.”

Liaqat National Hospital’s plastic surgeon Dr Shehab Beg says he receives about 50 patients per year from abroad.

“Most of them come for plastic surgery; such as liposuction and hair transplantation.”

Liposuction can cost between Rs0.7-0.8 million abroad, while the same procedure here can be done within Rs0.2 million, he says.

“Pakistan, too, can give the world a tough competition in medical tourism,” Beg says. He echoes Hashmi in saying that unless the law and order situation in the country is improved, the business side of the health industry may not grow.

“Already, a number of health professionals have left the country to work in hospitals abroad. They could have done the same work here in Pakistan, if only the situation here had been better.”

‘Foreign Agents’
In fact, in Pakistan, some doctors work as agents for foreign hospitals; earning commissions if they send affluent Pakistani patients for treatment to their patron hospitals.

One such agent is a man who calls himself Dr Mian Atif Fayaz. He has set up an office for the Thailand-based Bumrungrad International hospital in Lahore. His ads for the hospital are currently doing rounds over the internet and email.

When a reporter from The Express Tribune dialled the office’s number posing as a potential patient, Dr Mian Atif Fayaz – who answered the phone himself – said that not only had he set up a regional office for the international hospital in Lahore, but was also the managing director of globalhealthtravel.pk, a web-based company.

The Thai hospital, he claimed, provided healthcare for all types of illnesses. He asked for patient reports to be sent over to him via email, which he would then forward to the hospital abroad.

He explained the expenses would include a ‘nominal processing fee’ and a detailed breakdown of the cost of seeking treatment at the hospital would be provided to the hospital. He added that treatment expenses increase depending on the type of rooms and degree of comfort one sought at the hospital.

Doctors say there is nothing illegal about marketing for hospitals based abroad, but it hurts their clientele base.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/365757/untapped-market-can-pakistan-become-a-hub-for-medical-tourism/

Medical Tourism Resource Online

LONDON, Apr 16, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Thailand is leading Asia as a medical tourism destination, holding more than 40% share in the region’s medical tourist arrivals in 2011.

Its medical tourism market was around USD 2 billion last year, with a great potential to more than double by 2015.

Factors such as international accreditation, updated technology, highly qualified medical personnel and affordable costs have contributed to the growth of this industry.

Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Phuket are touted as the epicenter of health care services in Thailand and have become the hub for medical tourism.

New market research study “Thailand Medical Tourist Arrivals, Medical Tourism Market & Forecast to 2015″ drawn up by Renub Research provides a comprehensive assessment of Thailand’s medical tourism market detailing various aspects like foreign patients’ arrivals, revenue from foreign patients, competitive landscape and market share of the foreign patients’ arrivals & revenue from foreign patients.

Furthermore, key drivers and challenges of the medical tourism market in Thailand are also featured.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/thai-medical-tourism-market-analyzed-in-new-renub-research-study-published-at-marketpublisherscom-2012-04-16

Medical Tourism Resource Online

Some of the illnesses for which many individuals seek treatment outside the shores of the country could be obtained at lesser cost and minimal discomfort at some of the nation’s hospitals.

In this report, Winifred ogbebo brings into perspective, the hazards of travelling overseas for medical treatment

Medical Tourism has become a status symbol. It has continued to flourish with high exploitation by the high and the mighty to further drive a wedge between the haves and the haves-not.

Arrest a criminal today and the next day, he is asking for his international passport to enable him to travel to India, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom or Germany for medical treatment.

There’s no gainsaying the fact that the influx of Nigerians seeking medical treatment abroad continues unabated; a fact the minister of health, Prof Christian Onyebuchi Chukwu has often lamented at different fora.

Medical tourism to India and Egypt is big business and many companies openly advertise here in Nigeria. Some of these companies representing hospitals in India advertise in Nigerian Hospitals in collusion with the medical directors and are allowed to speak to doctors directly.

They often invite doctors in these hospitals to refer patients to them for a 10% return on the total cost of treatment. This money is added to the cost of the patients’ treatment and then surreptitiously paid to the doctor.

A neurologist, Dr Biodun Ogungbo, disclosed, “We have also heard reports of patients and their relatives being asked to become touts in Nigeria for some Indian Hospitals.They are asked to refer other patients to India for a percentage of the treatment costs.

Some have ended up being coerced into providing fake medical reports and making all sorts of unsubstantiated claims as this becomes a new source of income for them. “

Nigerian hospitals and doctors are not allowed to advertise. Yet, many of these hospitals and businesses in India, Egypt and South Africa do not subscribe to the same ideals we practise.

They openly advertise for patients through the government, both federal and state. Many government officials now prefer to travel abroad for treatment and some even wear it as a status symbol. This is really shameful and not part of nation building.

Sadly, nobody is willing to talk about the effects of medical tourism, and many other patients trudge the same route and end up with similar problems.

The Chief Medical Director of Cedar Crest Hospital, Abuja, Dr Felix Ogendegbe, said, “Hundreds of Nigerians continue to troop out to these areas for unsupervised medical care. When you shop around for a hospital in Nigeria, you can easily see them in person holding meetings with the staff.

But, this type of in-person reconnaissance becomes a little harder to manage if the hospital is in another country. None of these hospitals are vetted by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Health Ministries or the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN)”.

He asked, “Even when the treatments have gone well, who will continue the necessary follow-up care here in Nigeria?

He noted that many patients who have not seen a specialist here before travelling to these countries cannot afford to go back for further treatment and have no one here to continue their care.

“For many conditions, it’s customary to check in with your physician from time to time as you recuperate. However, by receiving treatment in a foreign country, it becomes prohibitively expensive to consult with whoever provided you with primary care.

In fact, for some operations requiring long recovery periods, you’ll need to make postoperative arrangements on your own. The early successful results may then change for the worse especially in many cancer cases.”

On the cost of treatment in travelling overseas for treatment, the neurologist disclosed, “It is more expensive in many cases to have treatment abroad and sometimes that money is wasted if the hospital cannot treat you.

If for example, you do not need treatment, the cost of travel and consultation is wasted. In other cases, additional costs accrue from having a companion travel with you.

You will need to provide money for travel costs, feeding and accommodation for your companion while you get treatment.”

India’s National Health Policy declares that treatment of foreign patients is legally an “export” and deemed “eligible for all fiscal incentives extended to export earnings.

” Government and private sector studies in India estimate that medical tourism could bring between US $1 billion and US $2 billion into the country by 2012. Specifically, it has been reported that India earns about US $260 million from medical tourism from Nigeria alone.

According to Ogendegbe, the health seeking Nigerians forget that some illnesses are so acute requiring immediate medical attention that cannot wait for the flight to other countries.

He says, “Supporting the local hospital and ensuring that it has both personnel and equipment may be the difference between life and death.

Conditions such as road traffic accidents can kill within minutes to hours if nothing is done, precluding time to get a visa, air ambulance and even the foreign exchange necessary to travel out.

For example, if a former or serving Nigerian president, senator, governor or government functionary collapses with stroke – what is the probability of getting a visa, flight ticket, booking a hotel, etc. and getting the required emergency care in India, Germany, UK or USA to save his or her life within a few hours?

Who provides the emergency resuscitation and care necessary here before travelling? Which hospitals have been equipped and personnel trained to provide acute level of care in such situations and in major disasters such as the current problems with sectarian and political violence?”

Besides, there is also the consideration of the impact on local doctors, as explained by the experts.

“The key issue is that such medical tourism is eroding the fabric of our own health services and further depleting the nation of medical facilities and expertise. It demoralises local medical practitioners and increases the brain drain.

It reduces the training of medical students, further creating substandard and poorly trained doctors to look after us all in the future.”

“We recognise the fact that over time, Nigerian doctors and hospitals have lost the trust and respect of patients. Rather than seeing this as a reason to seek medical attention elsewhere this should be a call and pressure applied to the government to optimise and improve our facilities and expertise. Patients are best served by medical treatment provided close to where they live; particularly in emergencies.”

The consensus is often that this is something we have to embrace for now since our medical facilities leave us open to severe competition from abroad.”

Speaking at the Association of Resident Doctors’ (ARD) 1st Intellectual week at the National Hospital Abuja Chapter on the theme “ Enhancing Healthcare Delivery through Local Research.’’

The former Chief Justice of the Federation, Alh Alfa Belgore, decried the situation when Nigeria had so many colleges of medicines and doctors who were properly trained to manage certain health conditions but are saddled with ill -equipped health facilities.

He said, “I believe our doctors are the best trained anywhere in the world and the problem is that they are not availed the facilities in post qualification training on new development.”

For example, he said, up to recent years, Nigeria and Egypt used to supply doctors to Saudi Arabia, and they never performed badly”.

However, Ogendegbe opined that the responsibility to bring back the faith and trust by the Nigerian populace in the healthcare systems in the long term rest with all Nigerians.

http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/20283/2012/03/26/you_travel_abroad_treatment.html

Medical Tourism Resource Online

When U.S. Supreme Court justices question lawyers on the constitutionality of President Obama’s 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, there is at least one industry that won’t be feeling particularly nervous about the outcome: medical tourism companies.

That’s because, whatever happens, the companies—which arrange foreign surgeries or other medical procedures at top-rated facilities (along with the travel, accommodations and the occasional tourism itinerary) with savings of up to 70 to 80% of what they would cost in the U.S.—already have a strong and ever-growing clientele, most serving several thousand people a year.

“Obamacare is not going to affect us, because it doesn’t say what insurance companies can charge you,” says Geoff Moss of Planet Hospital, a 2002-founded company that sends people abroad for everything from tummy tucks and breast augmentations to hip replacements and kidney transplants.

“Let’s say you work flipping hamburgers and have a preexisting heart condition. Blue Cross can say, sure, that’ll be $1,000 a month.”

At the similarly structured Med Retreat, managing director Patrick Marsek (who also authored The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Medical Tourism) adds that, if Obamacare sticks, the remaining problem won’t even be just a cost issue, but one of access.

“You’re going to have 50 million people minimum coming into the healthcare system,” he says, “and when it comes to getting treatment, you’re going to have to wait in line.”

Enter medical tourism—where the world is your oyster, apparently, when it comes to getting all sorts of affordable, high-quality medical care.

“Cosmetic procedures seem to be what started the whole [medical tourism] industry,” Marsek says. “But, through the years, the number of uninsured and underinsured Americans started to grow, and now it’s orthopedic, cardiac and everything else.”

So where are the top destinations among Americans seeking affordable medical care? We worked with Moss and Marsek—two of the leaders in the field, who help guide thousands of Americans overseas each year for medical treatments—to come up with our list (which is not ranked, but in alphabetical order).

Singapore and Thailand are favorites. “Bumrungrad is the crown jewel of medical tourism,” Marsek says, referring to Bumrungrad International Hospital, just west of Bangkok, known for procedures including coronary artery bypass grafts, hip replacements and spinal fusions. In general, he adds, the best pricing will be found in Southeast Asia, including Singapore.

“They don’t have problems with malpractice, and the prices reflect that.” Costa Rica is a popular choice for being closer to home, as is Mexico—particularly for dental work and surgeries including knee and hip replacements.

Japan and Korea rank high for offering extremely advanced cancer treatments, plus top-notch orthopedic work. And India is always a low-cost, high-quality option—for oncology, cardio, neuro and orthopedic surgeries, as well as for fertility treatments and surrogacy.

The issue there, both Moss and Marsek agree, is that dealing with India is a huge culture shock for most Americans.

But the bottom line, according to Moss, is this: “There are over 52 million Americans without health insurance. So if you are one of those people and need a life-changing procedure, it could cost you $125,000, and you may have to sell everything you own to have surgery.

But if I told you there was a U.S. Board–certified, JCI-accredited hospital in India that could do it for $15,000, you’d probably be on the next flight out.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethgreenfield/2012/03/25/top-spots-for-medical-tourism-no-matter-what-supreme-court-rules-on-obamacare/

Medical Tourism Resource Online

Medical Tourism in Korea

The idea of visiting another country to get heath care treatment is definitely not completely new, however the modern day idea of medical tourism traveling foreign countries for lower cost care has primarily emerged just in the recent 5 to 10 years.

Medical Tourism in Korea

This process started to truly explode primarily because lots more people are travelling all over the world than they were fifteen years ago.

Also since the Internet has made long-distance communication much more practical.

Korean Medical Tourism Top quality of care

Individuals might have queries about the caliber of attention in another country; however, a quarter of doctors in the United States tend to be foreign-born, so the notion of using a Korean …or perhaps an Indian medical professional is actually nothing.

Additionally consumers are at the same time begining to realise that the U.S. health system, despite remaining the more expensive, is not perfect.

Medical tourists can find superior quality associated with care Hospitals which take part in medical tourism usually arrange the highest quality care and greatest physicians for overseas patients.

The worst thing that can occur to a healthcare facility overseas would be to have a treatment go bad, and for that person to come back to the U.S. and speak to the news.

Medical Tourists usually commit three times as much in time a hospital abroad compared to what they would probably in the United States.

After having a similar procedure performed, clients furthermore usually experience a lot more hospitality and friendliness consideration and nurturing when in another country.

United States physicians, generally speaking, tend not to resist medical tourism. Several U.S. health professionals have an understanding of foreign doctors, as well as tend to be traditionally from foreign nations themselves, and they understand the credibility of obtaining health care abroad, medical doctors are probably definitely not worried about losing business due to a shortfall of doctors in the states.

Things to consider and risks of Medical Tourism

Top quality of care overseas is not necessarily reason to be concerned, particularly for patients that book their own medical tour by using a solid business. Nonetheless, other considerations about Korean medical tourism needs to be taken into account.

Many people still choose to journey in another country to obtain comprehensive secrecy in addition to anonymity, restful healing period, as well as the deterrence of daily hometown distractions.

Usa patients with a medical problem should have their own medical diagnosis performed within the U.S. Right after learning exactly what course of action must be carried out, they can inquire the rough price and their doctor will be able to allow them to have a general estimate, which figure can then become compared with the price of getting the same method completed international.

http://allthingstiki.com/2012/03/23/medical-tourism-in-south-korea-all-you-need-to-know/

Medical Tourism Resource Online

Everyone is talking about it, it’s the latest buzz, it’s called ‘Medical Tourism’ and refers to tourists who combine a holiday with medical treatment.

From the corridors of Government to the layman on the street everyone wants to know how Barbados can be a part of it.

But hang on a minute, this isn’t actually a new concept for Barbados at all, we have been selling ourselves as an island of well-being and the place to relax for over 200 years.

Our first and most famous medical tourist was George Washington, who brought his brother Lawrence to Barbados in 1751 to successfully recover from tuberculosis.

From that time until now, Barbados has affirmed its reputation for excellent medical care.

Barbados has changed a lot since 1751, but when it comes to medical care, our reputation is still very strong, particularly for assisted reproduction in the international community, and much of this is credited to the work of Barbados Fertility Centre (BFC).

The medical team at BFC is headed up by Barbadian Dr. Juliet Skinner and in April 2012 will be celebrating 10 years of success in creating families.

From inception BFC set out to be an international centre of excellence for fertility treatment.

BFC treats patients from the UK, Canada, USA and the Caribbean region. Patients are encouraged to leave the stresses and strains of everyday life and have a 14 day vacation in Barbados whilst undergoing fertility treatments at the state of the art centre in Hastings, Christ Church.

Over the 10 years, BFC has created a successful treatment program to ensure their patients are at their optimum of relaxation to receive IVF treatment.

Combining holistic and traditional treatment methods, their success is proven in the thousands of babies having been created for childless couples.

With the understanding that the island and its natural beauty compliment the services at the clinic, BFC created holiday packages to suit each patient’s budget from self-catering apartments right through to a fortnight at Sandy Lane.

Gone are the days that travel was once deemed a luxury for only the elite. In today’s world, travel itself can heighten stress levels for the travelling tourist. To minimize this, BFC offers an entire holiday package for patients including flights, accommodation, all transportation requirements and a local mobile phone.

As patients embrace Barbados’ island culture, they begin to unwind enjoying other aspects of their holiday including island tours, catamaran cruises, restaurants, and a plethora of ancillary tourist oriented activities which in turn benefit the island’s foreign exchange and employment levels.

To spread the word of the clinic’s success and options available to future patients, BFC works hard at marketing their services internationally.

By attending and exhibiting at targeted conferences and exhibitions throughout the year in the US and UK, BFC is now a recognized brand within the medical tourism fraternity.

Dr. Skinner and her team are often asked to speak at international conferences on the subject of medical tourism and for the last 3 consecutive years has been a featured speaker as one of the leaders in their field at the Medical Tourism Association AGM in the USA.

The medical team also go out on the road, travelling around the Caribbean to hold free educational seminars to help people to understand the subject of infertility, which affects one in six couples throughout the world.

Diverse marketing has brought the spotlight to the services of this gem in the crown of Barbados’ Medical Tourism.

Incorporated in their market strategies are dedicated websites for both European and North American clients in an effort to help the patients feel more comfortable with travelling to Barbados for treatment. With a strong social media and web based presence, the clinic is reaching global recognition.

Not only keeping with state of the art medical technology, BFC was also the first healthcare provider to develop The Fertility App for iPhone & iPad to help anyone, anywhere in the world that is trying to conceive.

With downloads across the globe, again helping to put Barbados on the map as a health care destination.

Imperative to any business which falls under medical tourism umbrella, BFC holds the gold seal of approval from JCI, the premier US health accreditation body, assuring patients of the highest quality and patient safety standards upheld at the clinic.

For an international patient it makes a lot of sense to come to Barbados for IVF treatment. With costs being a third of that of the US, combined with high success rates of 72% for women under 35 – this attractive combination of low cost, high success means that their dreams of having a family can indeed come true.

Medical tourism is alive and working exceptionally well in Barbados and is part of the government and private sectors vision for the future as other hospitals and therapy areas continue to progress in this industry.

http://businessbarbados.com/industry-guide/tourism/medical-tourism-concept-barbados/

Medical Tourism Resource Online

The number of foreign patients visiting Korea has been soaring at an annual rate of over 30 percent since 2009.

The figure rose 35.9 percent from 60,201 in 2009 to 81,789 in 2010, and is estimated to have exceeded 110,000 last year, up 34.5 percent, according to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.

The target for this year is 150,000 medical tourists, marking growth of 36 percent, it added.

American patients topped the list with 32.4 percent in 2010, followed by Chinese (19.4 percent), Japanese (16.8 percent) and Russians (7.7 percent).

Foreign patients spent an average of W1.31 million per person on medical expenses here (US$1=W1,133).

“Attracting three to four patients with serious illnesses creates a comparable economic effect to exporting a Hyundai Sonata,” the institute said.

People from Kazakhstan paid the highest medical bills, or W3.78 million on average, followed by Russians with W2.97 million and Mongolians with W2.58 million, as many of them came for expensive treatments for cardiovascular or other serious diseases.

Japanese patients spent the least amount of money, or W840,000 on average.

U.S. patients visited Korea largely to undergo medical check-ups or seek treatment from dentists, while most Chinese patients got treated by beauty therapists or plastic surgeons, and Russians sought cardiovascular or orthopedic surgeons.

Japanese mostly sought herbal and skin treatments. They accounted for 76 percent of the total number of foreign patients visiting Oriental medicine clinics, and 35 percent of those seeking dermatologists.

“Many Japanese want to receive simple treatments like acupuncture or skin care during their short visit” to Korea, said a director at the institute.

Meanwhile, Chinese patients, mostly women in their 20s or 30s, accounted for 66 percent of the total number of foreigners visiting plastic surgeons in Korea.

“Recently, an increasing number of older Chinese visitors have also been coming to get medical check-ups here as part of tour programs,” the director said.

“As Korea begins to be recognized for its advanced medical skills, the number of foreign patients with serious conditions is on the rise.”

In the southern port city of Busan, Russian patients account for 35 percent of foreign patients visiting clinics. Many hail from the eastern region of Vladivostok and show symptoms of cardiovascular, hip or disk diseases, the institute said.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/04/02/2012040201004.html

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