Category Archives: Medical Treatment/Health Treatment Subject By Speciality

Tallahassee :

Florida lawmakers have a new vision for the tourism industry.

“Medical tourism has existed in Florida since Ponce de Leon set out in search of the fountain of youth,” said Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, who is sponsoring the bill with Rep. Patrick Rooney Jr., R-West Palm Beach.

But as transportation and communications technology have improved, more people are seeking medical care outside of their immediate com­mu­nities.

Experts say the global medical tourism market is valued somewhere between $10 billion and $60 billion annually. The size of the industry in Florida is not clear.

One thing is certain: Health care providers in the Sunshine State already are drawing patients from other states and countries.

International patients, in particular, can be a boon. Many pay cash.

Forty percent of patients at the Lung Institute, a private pulmonary practice in Tampa, come from outside Florida, director of operations Lynne Flaherty said.

“We see patients from Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia,” Flaherty said. “They come from Canada, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and South Africa, too.”

The Lung Institute helps patients book hotels and secure transportation.

The bills moving through the Legislature (SB 1150 and HB 1223) would require the state’s tourism marketing organization to beef up its promotional efforts.

The legislative proposal are also are establish a matching grant program encouraging local and regional economic development organizations to create targeted medical tourism marketing initiatives.

The price tag: $5 million from the state’s general revenue account for each of the next four years.

Other proposals would work in concert with the medical tourism bill. For example, both chambers are considering a bill that would expand access to tele­medicine.

source: http://www.theledger.com / The Ledger / Home> News /  By Kathleen McGrory – Times / Herald / Thursday – April 10th, 2014

Toronto hospitals say medical tourism and international consulting is a good source of revenue, but critics worry Ontario patients could be displaced.

Bob Bell, president of the University Health Network and incoming deputy health minister, said medical tourists and international consulting are potential sources of wealth for Ontario.

Toronto hospitals are unapologetic about raising money through medical tourism and international consulting and, in fact, plan to do more of it in future. And Ontario’s health minister says that’s OK with her.

But critics, including Canadian Doctors for Medicare and the Canadian Health Coalition, are fearful that the growing international focus could drain resources from the public health system.

“If hospitals have the capacity (and) if people internationally want to come here, that actually speaks to the quality of our health care system,” Health Minister Deb Matthews said Tuesday.

“That can actually generate revenue for the hospital (that can be) plowed right back into the public system.”

But she was emphatic that Ontarians must come first and that hospitals’ international work not compromises their access.

Bob Bell , president of the University Health Network and incoming deputy health minister, said the health sector is a potential source of wealth for Ontarians.

In the last three years, UHN has taken in more than $50 million by treating 380 patients from other countries and offering consulting services to countries like Kuwait and Qatar.

And UHN plans to broaden its horizons.

“We are talking to Brazil, we are talking to other places about the potential for helping them to evolve their health care systems,” said Bell, adding UHN is also in talks with other Middle Eastern countries.

“UHN has a vision of achieving global impact,” he said, noting that many health professionals who train in Toronto return to their countries of origin and seek UHN’s assistance in setting up similar hospital services there.

That’s how UHN got involved in sending a team of about 19 staffers — including nursing leaders, administrators, IT professionals and a physicist — to Kuwait four years ago to help improve cancer services there.

The contract generates $10 million annually for UHN.

“Our core competency is looking after Ontario patients (but) if we can expand our international reputation, bring money home to provide things within our health-care system for our patients that we couldn’t otherwise afford to provide, and if we can bring meaningful employment and lots of jobs to Ontarians who are looking for jobs, why wouldn’t we do it?” Bell asked.

He said the money has been used to fund research and even pay for a new IT system at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Other hospitals engaged in similar international activities include Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Mount Sinai and the Hospital for Sick Children.

Dr. Ryan Meili, acting chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare , said he’s worried this could be a slippery slope and that Ontario patients could lose out.

Thousands of tourists arrive in Dubai arriving in on one of the more than hundred A380 super Jumbos by Emirates in the United Arab Emirates every day. More and more are getting ready for cosmetic surgery in ultra modern clinics around the Emirates.

The number of international medical tourists coming to Dubai solely for cosmetic surgical and non-surgical treatments is projected to double in the current year, he added.

It appears this no longer the choice of women and celebrities alone, there is a growing trend of men in the UAE opting for procedures such a breast reduction and hair transplants.

Overall, cosmetic surgery has become a popular phenomenon in the UAE, medical experts said. The demand is keeping pace with the expansion of this medical field through the introduction of new, quick and promising non-surgical procedures.

More men are becoming conscious of their appearance, so 30 per cent of today’s patients are now males.

The most common procedure for men in the UAE is breast reduction followed by hair transplants, Dr Rezai said.

For women, nose reshaping, body countering, and breast enlargement continue to be the three most popular procedures. Many reduce their abdominal area by undergoing a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) or liposuction.

The common reason for choosing cosmetic surgery is improving self-confidence and self-esteem.

Non-surgical procedures have also become more popular. Many patients choose non-surgical procedures like botox and fillers because they are quick, easy and have no recovery time — you can get them done during your lunch break.

The growing trend to modify or change specific parts of the body, however, is not restricted to a specific age group. Patients undergoing cosmetic surgery procedures range from 18 to 65 years of age.

Dubai Tourism, a government agency had promoted Dubai as a top medical tourism destination. A 25 per cent increase were patients recorded from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, especially Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

source: http://www.eturbonews.com / eTN Global Travel Industry / March 30th, 2014