Category Archives: Medical Tourism/Health Tourism

AS THE world’s population ages, non-communicable diseases continue to rise in frequency and healthcare costs inflate at an alarming rate, the issue of creating a healthcare destination that provides a high quality service for far less cost has never been more pressing.

Countries such as India, Malaysia and Costa Rica have already made successful inroads into the estimated $55 billion market of what has been termed “medical tourism’, wooing patients from overseas to their facilities with the promise of high quality medical services, huge savings on costs of up to as much as 90 percent and a pleasant environment in which to recuperate.

Now it’s the Caribbean’s turn.

Housing a first-class medical facility within the Caribbean makes sense – it’s just a short flight away from some of the largest markets urgently needing a healthcare solution – North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Health City Cayman Islands opened its first phase in early 2014, putting the Cayman Islands on the map as a healthcare destination, and offering patients a centre of excellence for cardiac surgery, cardiology, orthopaedics, paediatric endocrinology and pulmonology.

Part of cardiac surgeon, medical pioneer and philanthropist Dr Devi Shetty’s Narayana Health group based in India (which oversees 26 hospitals), Health City Cayman Islands has already proven itself to be a medical force to be reckoned with, offering procedures at drastically lower costs than that of similar centres of medical excellence within other first rate institutions in the western hemisphere. Once completed, Health City Cayman Islands will have 2,000 beds, a dedicated medical research university, assisted living centre and be one of the largest healthcare centres in the world. Narayana Health is joined in the first phase of the project by Ascension, the largest private not for profit health system in the United States.

A patient will only travel for the purpose of undergoing a medical procedure if a series of criteria are met.

There must be demonstrable government and private sector investment in the country’s healthcare infrastructure as well as commitment to international accreditation, quality assurance, and transparency of outcomes by the service provider themselves.

The Cayman Islands government has been a supporter of Health City Cayman Islands from the outset and continues to work alongside the facility to ensure that the regulatory environment is welcoming for its purpose.

Health City Cayman Islands is currently working towards its Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. In order to be accredited by the JCI, an international hospital must meet the same set of rigorous standards set forth in the US by the same body. Health City anticipates receiving accreditation during the first quarter of 2015.

The excellence of the location’s tourism product is of paramount importance to ensure the patient has a safe and pleasant environment in which to return to health.

The Cayman Islands has built an enviable reputation among its peers as one of the top locations for sun, sea, sand and fun; catering to tourists from all over the world.

As a result, the tourism product of the Cayman Islands, guided by the public sector Department of Tourism and the private sector Cayman Islands Tourism Association has provided the island with an incredibly successful and vital economic pillar over the years and an impressive service offering for visitors.

The potential for cost savings on medical procedures is probably the motivating factor for any patient to look overseas for treatment.

At Health City Cayman Islands, the quality of service will be a motivator and costs are significantly lower than comparable hospitals in the western hemisphere. Fees are all-inclusive with anaesthetist and doctors’ fees not being additional, as is often the case overseas, an added benefit for choosing Health City Cayman Islands.

Dr Shetty and his staff have built a solid reputation for quality healthcare through the sheer volume of surgeries performed in India, in comparison to other counterparts. With this experience comes a sustained reputation for clinical excellence. All surgeons at Health City Cayman Islands possess a similar level of skills and vast experience, all with international training.

In addition, its sister hospitals under the Narayana Health group in India have successfully adopted best practices and state-of-the-art medical technology and Health City Cayman Islands is currently implementing the same rigorous best practices, especially with regard to patient feedback, as well as installing the best possible medical technology available.

All of which adds up to the creation of an incredibly exciting new era for the Caribbean, with the Cayman Islands very shortly poised to dominate the international medical tourism industry.

Shomari Scott is the marketing director at Health City Cayman Islands and the former director of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.

Note: the opinions expressed in Caribbean Journal Op-Eds are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Caribbean Journal.

source: http://www.caribjournal.com / Caribbean Journal / Home / by Shomari Scott, Op-Ed Contributor / August 19th, 2014

Roadblocks that keep foreign guests from the Medical Center need to be removed.

Photo By Smiley N. Pool/Staff The Texas Medical Center photographed on Thursday, May 23, 2013, in Houston. Texas Children’s Hospital is in the foreground. ( Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle )-

Arguments about government regulations stifling Houston businesses are a common refrain in oil and gas skyscrapers. But recently those charges are being leveled from corner offices in the Texas Medical Center – and, no, this has nothing to do with Obamacare.

The issue is medical tourism and a federal bureaucracy of fear that’s hampering the growth of a once thriving industry in Houston. This isn’t just a problem for global elites seeking plastic surgery here. People everywhere want the technical genius the world’s largest medical complex provides, and the hurdles should not be insurmountable for international patients.

Before our world changed with the terrorist attacks of 9/11, about 40,000 patients from abroad – often paying with cash – would travel to physicians in the Medical Center. That level today has been cut in half. Post-9/11 changes enacted by a terrified Congress have led to stricter medical visa requirements. Potential visitors have faced Homeland Security  detention and interrogations at  Bush Intercontinental Airport and other points of entry.

“Homeland Security was created. It wasn’t very friendly. It discouraged people from coming,” Rosanna Moreno , a Houston attorney and partner of McMains &  Moreno Global Consultants , told the Chronicle. Simultaneously, Germany, Thailand, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico and other countries have upped the quality of their health care with a focus on attracting international clients and carving off a slice of our share.

One medical tourist told Chronicle reporter Lorna Hines , “Health doesn’t have a price” (“Pulling in overseas patients,” Page A1, Sunday). And the numbers prove the point.

Globally, medical tourism generates a minimum of $38.5 billion annually, according to industry experts. Officials have only begun to study how much of that business comes to Houston. But each dollar a medical tourist spends on care and accommodations has at least a $2 effect on the local economy, according to  Patrick Jankowski , economist at the Greater Houston Partnership .

Dr. Robert Robbins , president and CEO of the Texas Medical Center, wants to rebuild Houston’s international patient base by securing a healthy percentage of those medical tourists for Houston. That goal is realistic, but it is difficult to accomplish when we are figuratively pulled out of line by the TSA.

Houston has advantages in any quest to become the world’s premier medical destination. With 17 international airlines now flying here, the Medical Center is a convenient destination for patients too sick to wait for layovers.

The Medical Center’s stellar reputation is further enhanced by affiliations many of the local hospitals have with foreign counterparts and medical schools. And then there’s this thing called Texas hospitality, which makes it easy for a person speaking any language to make their way.

From the hospitals to the airports to the officials at Homeland Security, we should strive to make our medical tourists feel more welcome than any other place in the world. This effort will require coordination between the consular offices, the Greater Houston Partnership, Houston’s Aviation Department and Homeland Security, among others.

But our elected officials in Washington need to understand that walls designed to keep out bad guys are keeping out patients as well. It is time for Texas’ senators and a congressional delegation led by U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul , chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security , to work on behalf of this important part of Houston’s economy.

“People with money come here,” a medical tourist told the Chronicle. “I feel safe with the physicians … I trust Houston.” We need a higher level of mutual trust for our international guests.

source: http://www.chron.com / Chron – Houston Chronicle / Home> Opinion> Editorial / August 12th, 2014

IMA seeks international airport with night landing facility in the city. For a place to develop as medical tourism hub it needs to have functional regulatory bodies, good hotels, logistics support and above all forex service, he added.

Medical tourism does not confine to development of hospitals, it helps in the growth of hospitality, transportation and other allied fields.

Vijayawada offers basic infrastructure and there is scope to develop it as a hub for medical tourism. This was what doctors and others said here on Sunday.

Bezwada chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) organised a seminar on Medical Tourism – Prospects in Andhra Pradesh and experts from different fields, including hospitality, tourism, and hospitals were invited to address the gathering at IMA Hall.

Manipal Health Enterprises Private Limited Head (International Marketing) Benny Charles Daniel said that among all the patients arriving in India, 53 per cent come for different surgeries, 18 per cent for wellness and spa service, 18 per cent for reproductive tourism (surrogacy) and 14 per cent for dental surgeries.

Regulatory bodies

For a place to develop as medical tourism hub it needs to have functional regulatory bodies, good hotels, logistics support and above all forex service, he added.

IMA AP Association president P. Venkateswarlu said there was a need to have an international airport with night landing, helicopter ambulance service.

Janavignana Vedika secretary general Dr. V. Brahma Reddy wanted authorities to ensure diversified facilities across the State and not confine to one particular place. This apart, measures should be taken to offer advanced medical treatment to the general public within their limited budgets, he appealed.

IMA Bezwada chapter president Indla Ramasubba Reddy said the objective behind conducting the seminar was to draw the attention of government authorities over the need to promote medical tourism.

Experts’ suggestions and recommendations would be sent to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Health Minister K. Srinivas and other senior authorities, he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by S Sandeep Kumar / Vijayawada – August 11th, 2014