Philippines with its New7wonders

The astonishing Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) in Palawan is officially one of the New7wonders of nature, authorities said Saturday.

Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders, announced that the 8.2-kilometer navigable river made it to the list, according to the New7Wonders site.

The underground river is an excellent scenic spot to visit. The resembling religious-like images of stalactites and stalagmites are all breathtaking views. Cove dwelling faunas also dwell in the underground rivers and are eye catchers as well.

This news might boost Philippine tourism and comes just weeks after the Department of Tourism unveiled its new tourism slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines,” to attract more foreign travelers.

Source: Yahoo News!

UNWTO urges continued tourism investment in Africa

 UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, speaking at the Tourism Investment Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR), encouraged companies to continue investing in Africa and its growing tourism markets.

“Africa has been one of the fastest growing tourism regions of the last decade,” said Mr. Rifai addressing Spanish investors and African tourism stakeholders at INVESTOUR.“With the right investment, tourist arrivals will continue to grow, investors will see excellent returns, jobs will be created and the entire economy will benefit.”

Source: Travel Daily News

Polar Vision and Socialized Healthcare

I’m sitting here in New Zealand feeling frustrated after reading Kinsey Gidick’s article True Tales about Healthcare Abroad. Nothing against Gidick, the article makes for an interesting read.

While the article does a great job of proving a point regarding the exorbitant cost of healthcare in the USA and the Medical Tourism alternatives available, Gidick, along with the vast majority of US media, polarizes the concept of socialized healthcare.

I’m referring to the section entitled “United Kingdom or Magic Kingdom”:

Dr. Evans disagrees. “I had a good friend of mine who lived on the west coast of England who was in his 80s and suffered from terrible chronic neuropathic pain,” he says. “After months of waiting, he was at last able to see a neurosurgeon who confirmed that he needed surgery to correct his problem. They put him down on the books for surgery 11 months out. Granted the surgery and all his care was free, but had he been in this country I could have picked up the phone and had him in a surgical suite in a week.”

Why is it that, regardless of whether they are ‘for’ or ‘against’ socialized healthcare, the US media insist on packaging a nations healthcare up in a nice tidy box that either has ‘socialized’ or ‘not socialized’ (or more correctly ‘American system’ or ‘Canadian system’) written on the front. The reality is that it is not this black and white…

Read the whole article: The Medical Traveller

Medical Tourism South Korea

Hello There!

South Korea, one of the fastest-growing countries in the world has finally set sail into the sea of Medical Tourism and is emerging as a popular destination for foreign patients, namely from the US, Japan and china.

Their economy has boosted dramatically over the past few years, unlike neighboring countries that are on a crisis, South Korea’s economic crisis is out of the question, however South Korea’s treatment costs have been preferable by many tourists who have undergone procedures in the country.

The continuous growth expands to the fields of Medical Tourism, South Korean government is exhausting efforts in attracting medical tourists to come over and have their medical treatments and procedures done in the country. South Korea is very well-equipped from the world-class physicians, state-of-the-art facilities, up to the utmost and finest care and compassion rendered by their experienced nurses and doctors.

Along with the outstanding medical treatment, comes the abundance of vacation and relaxation spots such spa resorts that are nonetheless one of the world’s best.

South Korea has become the plastic surgery capital of the world. They give off vast experience and expertise in the field of plastic surgery. They provide top plastic surgery services, including:

- Re-plantation using microsurgery
- Flap operation
- Burn Care
- Craniofacial Surgery

Apart from the numerous amount of their very own people who underwent the procedure, plastic surgery has been also in demand to people from top Asian countries such as Japan and China. For this growing demand, plastic surgery clinics have doubled to around 1,000 between 2004 and 2007. Another most sought-after procedure in South Korea, is the Stem Cell Transplant – a process used in treating cancer.

The government, has initiated measures to promote medical tourism such as changing its laws to permit local hospitals to join in ventures with hospitals abroad and has been revising its immigration policies to allow foreign patients and their families to obtain longer-term  for their medical visas.

Medical Tourism has grown to be a globally competitive environment, with lots of countries venturing into it, sure the competition is tough, but one thing is for sure, South Korea is heading to the top of the game.

Until Next Time

Peter – Your Medical Tourism Guide

Cosmetic Surgery Overseas

Hello There!

Are you willing to fly abroad for  cosmetic surgery? Whether it’s  liposuction, breast augmentation, or a facelift on the top list of considerations is the cost. Prime factor is quality of treatment and and many other factors when venturing on medical travel.

Hollywood  has great influence to many of our women today, but this doesn’t exclude men from the picture. From the TV ads, magazines, billboards and other forms of media, beauty has been defined quite perfectly which makes our people of today, be it young or old, want to have theirs equivalent to how media defines it.

To achieve that Hollywood definition, experts have come up with various procedures of cosmetic surgery to meet the needs and desires of men and women of today. However, this desire is not easy to achieve because of the economic crisis that has made millions of people in US and UK to prioritize their needs and put a limit on what they can or cannot afford.

With loss of jobs, housing, life savings and health insurance as the main problems the Americans and British are concerned about beauty has become the last priority.

This makes Medical Tourism by far the top option if they are desperate for Medical Treatment . Not only for medical treatments but for Beauty procedures as well. Sure, they can save pretty much for the procedure, but then again, quality should always be considered.  The first step is to go online and research on  surgeons, when in fact not all surgeons that you stumble upon are the best in their field of study.  Don’t just think of how much you can save but rather on how safe and secure you will be with your decided destination and surgeon.

To help you decide, we are giving you the top 3 countries with the lowest offer per procedure as based from treatmentabroad.com. All you need to do is to find the right surgeon!

Cosmetic Surgery Procedure	Country 1	Price ($)	Country 2	Price ($)	Country 3	Price ($)
Breast Enlargement	Bolivia	$2,683	Cuba	$1,248	Venezuela	$2,580
Breast Reduction	Bolivia	$2,377	Brazil	$1,880	Cuba	$1,668
Breast Uplift	Bolivia	$732	Brazil	$601	Venezuela	$688
Buttock Lift	Brazil	$1,880	Tunisia	$1,925	Hungary	$2,730
Calf Implants	Austria	$2,646	Brazil	$2,714	India	$3,229
Cheek Implants	Bolivia	$1,337	Poland	$1,141	Tunisia	$1,925
Ear Pinning	Brazil	$905	Cuba	$726	Lithuania	$926
Upper Eyelid Surgery	Brazil	$905	Lithuania	$791	Thailand	$656
Lower Eyelid Surgery	Brazil	$905	Lithuania	$1,139	Thailand	$656
Upper and Lower Eyelid Surgery	Brazil	$1,323	Cuba	$889	Thailand	$1,341
Facelift	Bolivia	$2,683	Brazil	$1,880	Cuba	$2,279
Forehead/Brow lift	Brazil	$1,323	Cuba	$763	Lithuania	$1,470
Liposuction	Brazil	$905	Hungary	$1,066	Lithuania	$1,400
Nose Reconstruction/ Rhinoplasty	Bolivia	$1,337	Brazil	$1,461	Cuba	$1,535
Pectoral Implants	India	$2,557	Cyprus	$3,759	Brazil	$4,107
Tummy Tuck/ Abdominoplasty	Brazil	$1,880	Cuba	$1,831	Lithuania	$2,147

Cosmetic Surgery – Liposuction

Hello there!

Do you have undesirable fats? Are you tired of doing various types of exercises with no result? Suffering from low self-esteem? Are you willing to undergo  a medical procedure?

Then liposuction is what you need, my friend. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes undesirable excess body fats from different parts of the body. Most common body parts with such fats are from the abdomen, buttocks, arms and thighs. It’s one of the popular cosmetic surgery procedure by far, as the results can be quite fantastic and can boost confidence.

There are various liposuction techniques that can be applied which include:

• Dry – this technique is already phased out and it requires general anesthesia. It doesn’t use injected anesthesia which is why this technique is not anymore applied these days as it causes an excessive blood loss approximately 30%

• Wet – requires a small amount of anesthesia injected into the affected area to lessen the bleeding as compared to the dry technique. The fluid also comes with saline to loosen the fat cells and make it easier to suction out.

• Super-wet – the volume of anesthesia used is about the same amount of fat expected to be removed. The blood loss is lesser compared to the tumescent liposuction. Normally, the procedure takes one to three hours, depending on the size of the affected areas/areas.

• Tumescent – meaning “swollen and firm” because of the large volume of dilute lidocaine and epinephrine injected into the subcutaneous fat making it tumescent thus creates a better space between the muscle and the fatty tissue for the cannula (a hollow tube).

• Laser-assisted – uses thermal energy to melt the fat and remove suction. Laser liposuction is in the same way similar to the above mentioned techniques as it also applies sedation of patient and injection of a tumescent fluid.

As far as liposuction is concerned many people hesitate resorting to liposuction because of the costs concerned.  As much as people make would make cost as the top priority, what really should matter is the quality.

Here is a table of a rough estimation of a liposuction fee in United States of America according to area from liposuction.com:

Body Area	Approximate Lower End of Range of Surgical Fee ($)	Approximate Upper End of Range of Surgical Fee ($)
Abdomen, upper & lower	3,000	7,500
Abdomen, lower	2,000	2,000
Arms	1,500	5,000
Back, female	1,500	4,000
Breasts, female	3,000	7,500
Breasts, male	3,000	5,000
Buttocks	1,500	4,500
Chin, Cheeks, Jowls, Neck	2,000	4,500
Flanks, male	2,000	5,000
Anterior Thighs & Knees	2,000	5,000
Inner (Thighs & Knees)	2,000	5,000
Hips/Waist	1,600	5,000
Outer Thighs	5,000	1,600
(Total fee = All Surgical Fees + Non-Surgical Fee). If an anesthesiologist is required, then an additional fee must be anticipated.

However, if you’re still hopeful of getting the best procedure but for a  cheaper price, why not consider having it outside your country?

There are top surgeons in other countries that are very well-known and respected in this field, this  means there’s a higher possibility of having the best surgeon at a lower price.

When I talk of cheaper costs with good surgeons find below the average cost of liposuction procedures in hospitals and clinics abroad:

Philippines

Cost: Ranging from $1000- $3125 (depending on the area)

India

Cost: $900 – $ 2500 (depending on the area; maximum price includes hospital and doctor fees)

Thailand

Cost: Ranging from $1500 – $3500 (depending on the area; maximum price includes hospital and doctor fees)

Brazil

Cost: $905 and (depending on the area; including hospital and doctor fees)

Bolivia

Cost: $1900 and above (depending on the area; including hospital and doctor fees)

Lithuania

Cost: $1,400 and above (depending on the area; including hospital and doctor fees)

Malaysia

Cost: $2000 – $2500 (depending on the area; including hospital and doctor fees)

Undergoing liposuction involves tough decisions and financial issues, so we hope that this has been helpful to you.

Until Next Time

Peter – Your Medical Tourism Guide

Five Best Medical Tourism Destinations

Medical Tourists have finally decided and now off to the next question, “Which country offers the best medical tourism that I should I go to?”

Given the top reasons and considerations we have discussed on our previous blog post, Top 5 Reasons People prefer Medical Tourism, we have used those reasons in coming up with top destinations for medical tourism. We have listed 5 best destinations, and here are the countries which made it to our list:

1. PANAMA

Price:

- 40% – 70% cheaper over US price

- Travel costs from US to Panama is considerably low.

Level of Service:

- As an Americanized country , language barrier is not a problem.

- Favorite destination among Americans both in general and medical.

- Improved economy, lots of vacay spot and prestigious hotels to choose from

Quality:

- Most health care specialists are US trained

R&R-in-1 (Recovery and Relaxation in one):

- Panama has a wide range of beaches to go to, not to mention the uninhabited islands to visit to.

Lack of Wait:

– Many of their physicians are US-trained, so getting higher priorities can be a bit of issue.

2. BRAZIL

Price:

– Low cost compared to other countries offering Medical Tourism.

Level of Service:

- As the second largest market for plastic surgery in the world, behind the U.S, Brazil is most likely attributed to the high quality of service.

Quality:

– Most hospitals for general medical treatment are JCAHO accredited, the largest U.S. hospital accreditation organization.

– Their largest city, São Paulo, is considered to have some of the world’s best equipped hospitals, advanced evaluation procedures and highly skilled physicians, according to BrazilMedicalTourism.com

R&R-in-1:

- A huge number of tourist destinations to choose from, most popularly their beaches. The beaches are frequented by many tourists but there are also secluded beaches where medical tourists can indulge into a peaceful and relaxing experience.

Lack of Wait:

- Due to the good performance with their general medical treatment, many tourists, mostly Americans and Europeans, getting higher priority depends.

3. MALAYSIA

Price:

- They offer a wide range of medical procedures, all at an affordable price than in US. The Cardiac Bypass surgery, for example, can cost from around $6,000 to $ 7,000.

Level of Service:

- The health care services in Malaysia have improved in just a short span of time, resulting to a huge number of foreigners to prefer Malaysia, now that surely has something to do with the better service they render to their patients.

– Most private hospitals in Malaysia offer accommodation such as luxurious suites with personal butlers and full-time nurses. Costs are reasonable that foreign patients can avail these and even arrange one for the traveling partners.

Quality:

- As a haven for health care facilities and hospitals, many foreigners consider Malaysia as a top option for their modern facilities and highly efficient medical staff whom are also highly qualified English speaking medical professionals.

R&R-in-1:

– Malaysia is a tourist heaven, medical patients can take advantage while on recovery enjoying their beautiful beaches, and go sightseeing.

Lack of Wait:

- Most Asian countries such as Malaysia, have higher priorities given to foreign patients, so expect for a faster booking.

4. COSTA RICA

Price:

- Americans will enjoy a favorable exchange rate for the dollar and many procedures offered from a half to tenth of the cost than from home.

Level of Service:

- They offer a range of dedicated recuperation facilities that give you the comfort of a high class hotel and the relaxation of a vacation, but with the security of knowing that there are doctors and nurses there to monitor your recovery and progress.

Quality:

- Costa Rica’s doctors are fully trained and must be certified by a national medical association before they are allowed to practice

- Thousands are drawn to Costa Rica’s modern hospitals and private clinics which have Board Certified surgeons, many professionally trained in North America or Europe.

R&R-in-1:

- If you’re up for their beaches, there are a lot of choices from fun beaches to quiet and peaceful ones perfectly suits for your relaxation and recovery stages while on vacation.

Lack of Wait:

– Majority of the patients are Americans, so expect for a so-so priority.

5. INDIA

Price:

– India is indeed a tough contender when it comes to health care services in southeast asia. Treatment package price is 35% to 40% lesser than costs in USA.

Level of Service:

- In most hospitals, practitioners and medical staff are known for their respect, friendliness and good English-speaking.

Quality:

- India provides world class medical facilities with hospitals and specialized multi specialty health centers providing their expertise in the many areas, practically covering every aspect of medicine combining modern treatments with traditional experience.

R&R-in-1:

– The historical places and beautiful beaches are just one of many places that is a must-see.

Lack of Wait:

- India is known for the high-priority that they offer to overseas patients.

We hope this helps you finally get a booking on your chosen medical tourism destination. And we wish you a safe trip, fast recovery and fun & relaxed vacation trip.

Latest News

A few Medical Tourism News.

Thailand’s medical tourism attracts 70000 Emiratis
Treatment Abroad – Medical Tourism News – London,UK
A 20000 increase in the demand for treatment abroad in Thailand has seen the UAE demand for medical tourism in 2006 rise to 70000. …

Barbados has unveiled plans for a major expansion of the …
Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation – Barbados
The new sectors being targeted are medical tourism, educational, business, professional, construction, ICT, cultural and entertainment services. …

Fil-Ams, Palace protest slur on RP docs in ‘Desperate’
Inquirer.net – Philippines
The Philippines is considered a top “medical tourism” destination for foreigners, including US citizens, who choose to undergo surgical and other medical …

Malaysian team evinces interest in medical college
Newindpress – Chennai,Tamil Nadu,India
… potential investors, has plans for investing in a medical college of international class that would promote medical tourism in the Union territory. …

Medical tourism boom in America
Treatment Abroad – Medical Tourism News – London,UK
As the presidential hopefuls reveal their intentions for the US healthcare system, Americans are turning to a market-driven approach to get their medical …

Until Next time

Malcolm – Your Medical Tourism Guide

Medical Tourism Bangalore

Medical tourism in Bangalore has taken off. Known as the “Silicon Valley of India” Bangalore has emerged as the hotbed for medical tourism in the country.

Bangalore is the fifth largest city in India. It’s a city of striking contrasts – a perfect blend of natural beauty and man-made marvels of architecture and technology. Located 1,000 metres above sea level, it’s described as one of the most “happening” places in India. The city has many beautiful parks, tree-lined avenues, and a trendy yuppie downtown along with an excellent climate.

After the success of the IT industry, Bangalore is all geared up to experience another new trend – medical tourism, also known as healthcare travel; health tourism; medical travel; healthcare abroad; and overseas healthcare. Medical tourists from all over the globe have been flocking to Bangalore like never before. The sudden boom of medical tourism in the city is regarded by medical gurus as a “goldmine” just waiting to be explored.

Hospitals in Bangalore and other corporate establishments have realised the potential of medical tourism and have accordingly adapted their needs and facilities. The travel agents and hotels are now structuring their packages and holiday schemes in accordance with the inflow of medical tourists coming into Bangalore.

Foreign patients mainly come in from the Gulf, Europe (especially UK) and from South East Asia and the US. They come here to get their medical treatment at one-third the cost and to explore this beautiful part of the world.

Cost of medical treatment

Most experts agree that the low cost of treatment is one of the biggest attractions for westerners. For cardiac surgeries, cancer treatment or an orthopaedic surgery you’ll only pay around one-third the cost charged in developed countries like the US or the UK. For example, for a Total Hip Replacement you’ll pay 9,100USD (5,000 GBP, 7,321 Euros). A total knee replacement will cost you the same.

Primary procedures & packages in Bangalore

Some of the primary procedures where Bangalore is said to excel include; cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery; joint replacement; orthopaedic surgery; gastroenterology, ophthalmology; transplants; and urology…the list goes on.

Specialised treatment is available in areas like; Neurology; Neurosurgery; Oncology; Ophthalmology; Rheumatology; Endocrinology; ENT; Paediatrics; Paediatric Surgery, Paediatric Neurology; and Urology…to name but a few.

Some of the most popular medical packages include; Dental Care; Eye Care; Heart Care; Heart Surgery; Health Check Up; Cosmetic Treatment; and Orthopaedic Surgery.

Medical packages include the cost of all hospital and doctors fees along with all medicine & drugs, diagnostics and implants. They even include transfers from the hospital to the airport as well as accommodation before and after the operation. Post operative care includes rehabilitation and meals and 7 days supply of drugs on discharge from hospital care.

In conclusion

Medical tourism as a phenomenon is just over eight years old in Bangalore. Yet, given the entrepreneurial spirit of the city, it aims to rapidly become a very important medical tourism destination, attracting foreign patients from all over the world.

Given the success of the IT industry here, Bangalore has become well known all over the world. It also has large number of top hospitals in the city and innumerable medical institutes and colleges. The climate is also an important factor, offering pleasant year round conditions for medical tourists.

The cost of treatment, excellent climate, infrastructure, range of medical packages and levels of expertise have all helped to make Bangalore one of the most important medical tourism destinations in the world.

Until next time

Malcolm – Your Medical Tourism Guide

Medical Tourism Australia

Medical tourism in Australia (aka. medical travel, health tourism) can be defined as healthcare abroad with a provision for cost effective, high quality medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry. It’s basically going on holidays to exotic locations and receiving top quality medical care at significantly lower prices than in the USA or UK.

Medical tourism is being promoted by governments and businesses all over the world. With global revenues of over 20 Billion US dollars in 2005, the medical tourism industry is the one of the world’s largest industries. Australia is one of the upcoming destinations.

A medical vacation to Australia combines wellness and healthcare. It promotes leisure and relaxation aimed at revitalizing a person; both mentally and physically. Health tourism draws you away from your daily routine to relaxed natural surroundings in exotic locations.

Medical tourism has been around for quite some time, decades in fact. It’s not a new phenomenon, although a lot of people seem to think it is. Nowadays, more and more people are taking advantage of it.

People in the North of Africa and the Middle East have been practicing medical tourism for a long time. For years they have been visiting medical facilities in Bavaria. It’s also popular with Hollywood celebrities, often choosing to visit spas and clinics in Switzerland.

In Australia, they have very high quality medical services and offer a wide range of practices and procedures. Patients gain access to first class Australian medical expertise and the latest medical technology.

There are various companies in Australia (including Avisis Health) that can manage all the arrangements for the medical tourist – from the time of initial enquiry to the eventual return home. You’ll be offered the most relevant options after careful discussion and determination of your specific needs.

Every effort will be made to ensure your experience is safe and comfortable, with the highest standards of both medical and non-medical services.

Primary Procedures and Medical Practices
Some of the more common procedures in Australia include; Executive Health Checkups; Cardiac Check-up Programs; and Cosmetic Surgery.

Cardiovascular tests include; Electrocardiogram; Exercise Stress Test/Treadmill Test; Echocardiogram; Transoesophageal Echocardiogram (TOE); Stress Echocardiogram; Pharmaceutical (Chemical or Isotope) Stress Echo; and Carotid to name but as few…

Typical Cardiovascular Procedures include; Cardioversion; Coronary Angioplasty; Coronary Angioplasty with Stent Insertion; and Drug Eluting Stents.

Common cosmetic procedures in Australia include; Browlift; Asian Eylids; Octoplasty; Rhinoplasty; Lip Augmentation; Facial Implants; Jaw and Cheek Surgery; Breast Surgery; Liposuction; Cosmetic Dentistry; and Hair Restoration amongst others….

One area of cosmetic surgery, which has become increasingly important in Australia, is breast enlargement. They’ve already started a campaign to lure foreigners here for their surgery. The campaign, headed by Brooke Stevenson (implant spokesperson) is expected to increase procedures in Australia by a third, all from American patients.

It will cost you about the same amount of money to get a breast enlargement in Australia as it would in the US but there’s the added bonus of a two-week long holiday in Australia included in the price.

A lot of surgeons also believe that the breast enlargement techniques used in Australia are far superior to the traditional American procedures. In Australia they use “gummy bear gel” rather than traditional Saline implants, which are more likely to be rejected.

The Australian tourism Development Association is delighted at the increase in medical tourism the country has seen. They are very keen to push for American medical tourists for their cosmetic surgery industry.

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