A Kenyan organization is among thirteen companies that have been recognized as the best in medical tourism at the inaugural International Medical Travel Awards held in Dubai. Pathway International has been recognized for innovation and excellence in the medical travel, medical tourism and health tourism industry and has been named the Medical Travel Agency of the year. Pathway International facilitates medical visits for patients seeking treatment in Kenya and countries such as India, Israel, South Africa, Europe and the USA.
Speaking while receiving the International Medical Tourism Journal (IMTJ) award, Simon Karo, the founder and CEO, Pathway International said they are committed to ensuring Kenya take a leadership position as the medical travel destination in the region.
“We seek to connect our patients to the best healthcare options, where can evaluate the various options of treatment, access a wider range of experts and the best treatment at the lowest cost. This award is made possible by the immense support we have received from all doctors and hospital partners who we work hand in hand, as well as our dedicated staff,” said Karo.
Medical tourism is a relatively new but growing industry which is now valued at $100 billion with India increasingly becoming the preferred medical destination for most of Africa due to affordability and quality of service. According to Al Jazeera, India received 1.1 million medical tourists between 2009 and 2012, earning the country $2.4 billion.
“Medical travel is an exciting and growing global industry, with many providers delivering excellence in both medical care and customer service. The IMTJ Medical Travel Awards are the first independent awards to recognize those who are the best of the best and hopefully to encourage others to emulate them. The judges wanted to reward innovation and excellence, highlight best practice and celebrate those who are leading the way in the industry and delivering successful outcomes for patients,” said the Chairman of the judging panel and Managing Editor of IMTJ Keith Pollard
Health institutions from Malaysia, India and Singapore were also awarded by the IMTJ in delivering internationally recognized services to patients, while Jordan was named the Destination of the Year.
“All our winners exemplify the way the medical tourism industry should be run – professional, offering exceptional patient care and providing the best possible medical outcomes. I’m already looking forward to next year’s awards in the hope that other clinics and companies will have raised their game to match or even better this year’s winners,” added Pollard.
The awards were presented in March 2014 at a high profile reception in Dubai during the International Medical Travel Exhibition and Conference, which brings together the pre-eminent providers and experts in medical travel and medical tourism.
source: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke / Business & Tech / by Ken Macharia / April 22nd, 2014
