Dtours2

Medical Tourism: Facts, News

Some consider it the result of the widespread global advancement in health and medical technologies; others consider it to be a detrimental blow to the economies and healthcare systems of some of the worlds most industrialized nations. Countries such as India and Mexico stand to take in more than one billion dollars per year from it by the year 2012, and the extensive list of nations all over the world participating in this new trend is expanding at an extremely fast and impressive pace, but just exactly what is this rapidly growing, world-wide industry known as Medical Tourism?

The term Medical Tourism has emerged from the practice of citizens of highly industrialized nations such as the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Western Europe, and the wealthier nations of the Middle East traveling to other countries around the globe to receive a variety of medical and healthcare services, mainly due to the outrageous and continually rising costs of the same services and procedures in their own countries. In addition, these people also take on the role of tourists, vacationing and taking advantage of all the major sites and attractions that these nations have to offer, in conjunction with receiving medical treatment. The Medical Tourism industry has already grown into more than a $20 billion industry, with the majority of this money going directly into the economies and healthcare systems of these host nations.

Medical Tourism - Contributing Factors
A wide variety of factors have led to this sudden rise in what we now know as Medical Tourism. In addition to the rising costs of healthcare in places like the United States and Great Britain, the increasing ease and affordability of international travel via air and sea, as well as the rapid advancement of medical technologies in lesser-developed nations all around the world have all contributed to the growing global interest in Medical Tourism. Also, more and more people are looking for places where they can not only receive more affordable healthcare, but also enjoy a fun and relaxing vacation at the same time.

Medical Tourism - Destinations
As the trend of Medical Tourism continues to grow, many nations around the world are beginning to promote special services and attractions aimed specifically at those people that are most likely to be interested in Medical Tourism. The draw toward places that are also major tourist destinations is one reason why places like India, the East Indies, Mexico, and South America are so popular when it comes to Medical Tourism. Not only do these nations provide a high level of quality medical care at significantly lower rates, but they also offer an abundant number of touring, site-seeing, shopping, dining, and relaxation options as well.

Medical Tourism in India is at an all time high. With some of the most sought-after specialists in everything from cardiology, neuro-surgery, orthopedics and eye surgery, India alone has increased its Medical Tourism by more than 30% per year for the past several years. India is just one of several countries that have recognized the incredible benefits there are to Medical Tourism, and is now making special efforts to make the country as appealing as possible to potential patients/tourists. Medical Tourism in India is becoming such a major industry, some hospitals have now taken it as far as working with tour operators to offer potential visitors an all-inclusive health-tourist package, which would include the desired medical procedure, as well as things like hotel, air travel, and admission to various popular tourist attractions.

Other Medical Tourism hot spots such as the West Indies, the Philippines, Africa, the Middle East, and Mexico are also jumping on the band-wagon, offering a number of special facilities and other incentives for those Medical Tourists that choose to visit their respective countries. Many of these nations, including India, have also launched full-scale marketing, advertising, and promotional campaigns to help showcase their healthcare offerings and attract prospective patients.

Medical Tourism - Most Common Services and Procedures
Medical services commonly sought by those participating in Medical Tourism include everything from standard medical, dental, and surgical procedures, to cosmetic repair and other enhancements as well. Elective procedures like dental and orthodontic work, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, LASIK eye surgery, and liposuction are all very common. In addition, life-saving procedures including heart surgery, as well as organ and bone marrow transplants are all rapidly increasing in popularity as well. Essentially, a medical tourist can now travel abroad to countries like India and receive virtually and kind of of medical procedure in a clean, safe, and effective environment, all at a substantially lower cost then they could in their own country. But what is this costing the industrialized countries that are now losing the medical and healthcare business of their own citizens?

Medical Tourism - Facts and Numbers
Medical Tourism is has become a major issue in places like the United States, Canada, and Great Britain where a rapidly increasing number of people are now looking elsewhere for procedures as simple as corrective eye surgery, which in the United States only takes about 5 minutes an eye to perform. So why would anyone want to take the time and effort to travel over seas to receive such a simple procedure? The numbers may surprise you. According to recent research, for the same price as a week long vacation for two in Hawaii that includes airfare and lodging, a couple can travel to the beautiful city of Kerala on India's southeast coast for a spectacular vacation that would include airfare, lodging, personal tour guide/concierge, and LASIK corrective eye surgery for two.

The Medical Tourism industry is also seeing a significant rise in a number of major surgeries and procedures. The average cost of private heart surgery in the United States is $50,000. That same operation with comparable rates of success and complications costs only $10,000 in the most state-of-the-art hospital in Bombay. A bone marrow transplant that costs $250,000 in the U.S. costs only $25,000 in India. Large price disparities such as these exist across the board for numerous medical and surgical procedures. Also, due to the extremely favorable currency exchange rates for medical tourists around the world, the additional costs associated with accommodations, food, shopping, etc. can be far more appealing as well.