About Medical Tourism
The term “Medical tourism” covers any holiday or vacation where people travel to other countries to receive significantly cheaper medical, dental or surgical care. It’s also known as healthcare travel; health tourism; medical travel; healthcare abroad and overseas healthcare.
These terms were initially used by the media and various travel agencies to promote a rapidly growing industry, whereby people can afford first class medical care at a fraction of the cost they would have to pay in industrialsed nations. Two of the most visited destinations are India and Thailand.
The poplarity of healthcare travel has increased greatly as international travel has become much more easy and affordable. Also, improvements in technology and standards of care in many countries have increased significantly.
Having surgery done in an overseas healthcare location (Argentina, India, Bolivia, Thailand, South Africa etc.) can cost you only one-tenth of what it would in the United States or Western Europe. Sometimes it even costs less. Cosmetic surgery offers the biggest savings - a full facelift that could cost you around $20,000 in the USA only costs around $1,250 in South Africa. And, the standards are just as high.
Another major attraction is the speed at which these operations can be performed. Some industrialised countries are so taxed that it can often take a ridiculous amount of time, sometimes even years, to get the required medical care.
For example, in Britain in Canada, you might have to wait for up to a year (or more) to get a hip-replacement whereas in places like Singapore or Bangalore you could easily have the operation done the day after you get off the plane.
Common overseas healthcare treatments include: eye procedures; heart operations; diabetes; stress management; sex change; body procedures; facial procedures; dentistry; cancer treatment; weight management; fertility; knees; hips & pelvis; and hair replacement.
Every year more and more countries are promoting themselves as medical tourism destinations. At the moment Belgium and Poland are breaing into the business. More well established health tourism locations include; Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Hungary, India, Israel, Maylasia, the Philipines, Thailand and Singapore.
Of the above list, India is by far the primary health tourism location when it comes to complicated medical procedures. They have an ever growing number of hospitals with US Joint Commission International accreditation.