Medical tourism has been seen by many as a blessing. Que lines can be substantially shortened. What may not be available in your home country may well be available to you elsewhere. In Canada for example it may be a multi-year wait for hip or knee replacement surgery or therapy. It is not only a question of convenience. The poor patient may be incapacitated . What kind of a life can they lead – almost being handicapped. In addition they may live in great pain which for the most part will make them dysfunctional if not almost always in a “bad” mood. Small reason why.
If they have the funds available one can well say – “What is money for”. To have funds yet be in pain , not being able to lead your life as you want it is not a bargain in the mix. Often it is not only a question of the money at all. Its the quality of life afforded. Quality of life is everything.
One may wonder the mentality of allowing such ques to take place. In a socialist mindset the worst thing that can possibly occur is “Que jumping”. The origin behind this way of thinking and value statement / judgment is that under socialism services and goods available are seen in the “pie” concept. There is only one “pie’ of services. If one person takes a piece of pie there is less left for everyone else. If you take a piece of the pie by jumping ahead of the Que then you are reducing the amount of goods/services / pie for me and everyone else. Thus que jumping when it comes to medical services is downright evil and immoral.
The fallacy in this logic is that in progressive societies those that are most productive expand the pie or pies.
Their inputs , factories so to speak , produce additional pies. It can be said that in the socialist paradise – the former Soviet Union – everyone had a job , but not everyone could afford to eat. Even in the socialist paradise of the Soviet Union there were privileged classes – the “party members’ who certainly had great powers to jump the Que lines in a much greater fashion and manner than was and would be allowed in any of the industrialized “capitalistic” economy societies.
People will jump ahead in Que lines. It is human nature. On top of that medical tourism can offload some of the demands on a given health care system or systems freeing up the load. On the other side though it is often the most affluent and powerful members of society who push for changes , upgrades in standards and service levels. If they are taken out of the mix beneficial improvement in the medical systems and levels of services may not be afforded.