Dental Tourism

MEDICAL TOURISM GAINING POPULARITY IN RP

MANILA, January 17, 2005 (STAR) By Mayen Jaymalin - An increasing number of foreign tourists are coming to the Philippines, not only for sightseeing and shopping, but also to avail themselves of medical services from hospitals and other "health destinations."

An indication of the program’s growing popularity is the increasing number of accredited medical tourism destinations in various parts of the country, according to the DOT.

Officials said the government initiated the health tourism program after observing that many tourists also avail of medical services while on vacation. An industry insider said a significant number of foreigners undergo cosmetic and dental surgery at local hospitals.

DOT-accredited hospitals provide one-stop, high-quality health care services for tourists in line with the medical tourism program.

Aside from medical services, foreign tourists — such as those from South Korea — are flocking to the Philippines to take advantage of the government’s English as a Second Language (ESL) tour program.

"The DOT has been successful in promoting the Philippines as a diverse destination," Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano said.

He added that to attract more tourists this year, the DOT is spending P300 million for a six-month campaign to promote the different tourist destinations in the country.

Early last year, then tourism secretary Roberto Pagdanganan said the DOT’s "healthcare with leisure" program is aimed at promoting the country as a competitive health vacation destination in Asia, targeting both the wellness-spa and medical tourist markets.

He said the program will be offered to tourists whose main purpose in visiting the country is to undergo "minimally invasive medical procedures and treatments." These tourists are often from developed countries, where medical services are either very expensive or not available, in search of more affordable medical options.

Pagdanganan said the Philippines is one of the few countries in Asia to offer a medical tourism program aside from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and India.

Observers said medical tourism in the Philippines has several advantages over that of other countries — many local doctors were trained in the US, Philippine medical schools reportedly have a "tougher" curriculum, US and European hospitals are staffed by Filipino nurses, physical therapists and doctors and the local population can communicate in English with foreign patients.

Earlier reports said Thailand’s private hospitals treated more than 300,000 patients in 2002, generating at least $280 million in revenue. In India, healthcare tourism is projected to be a $1-billion industry by 2012.

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