Category Archives: Reports,Features, Statistics

Almost 300,000 foreign nationals visited South Korea last year for medical treatment, an 11 percent increase from the year before, the nation’s Health Ministry announced Thursday.

The patients spent a total of 669.4 billion won ($566.7 million) last year, an increase of 20.2 percent from the year before. Among them, a total of 271 patients spent more than 100 million won on their treatments while staying here. In 2014, 210 patients from overseas did so.

Among the patients, the largest number were from China, followed by those from the U.S., Russia and Japan. Also, the largest number of patients, about 80,000 of them, visited internal medicine clinics — followed by those who visited plastic surgery clinics.

Meanwhile, the largest proportion of the Chinese patients, 24 percent of them, visited Korea for cosmetic surgeries and treatments. Also, 28 percent of Russian patients, and 23 percent of those from the U.S., sought treatment at internal medicine clinics.

In its effort to attract more foreign patients, the Health Ministry plans to improve its language interpretation and tourism services specifically for foreign visitors seeking medical treatment here.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)

source: http://www.koreaherald.com / The Korea Herald / Home> National> Social Affairs / May 26th, 2016

Medcare and Liga officials at the signing ceremony

Medcare Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital, part of Aster DM Healthcare, has signed an agreement with LaLiga Middle East, a subsidiary of the Spanish Professional Football league, to be its official regional healthcare provider.

In line with the partnership, which is based on the growing demand for specialised orthopaedic care, the Foot, Ankle and Hand Centres at Medcare will provide comprehensive orthopaedic services, not only for people with sports related injuries but also for adults and children.

Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, director of health regulation and Dubai medical tourism project, at the Dubai Health Authority, commented: “Orthopaedics and sports medicine is one of the services of Dubai Health Experience (DXH) – the programme launched by DHA to promote Dubai as a medical tourism destination. LaLiga’s partnership with Medcare reflects the growth and expansion of the services offered by the healthcare industry in Dubai and is in line with our vision to provide high quality specialised care.”

Ala Atari, CEO of Medcare, said: “Our partnership with the prestigious LaLiga will redefine how healthcare and sports can come together to provide sportspeople with the best of orthocare to enable superior playing performances. We are also confident that this agreement will shed light on the significance of the field of orthopaedics and the need for bone and muscle care.”

Through specialised healthcare facilities, Medcare aims to position itself as the go-to expert for all health and sport related injuries across the UAE and the GCC, said a press release.

Fernando Sanz, regional director of LaLiga Middle East and North Africa and international projects, added: “Medcare was our first choice when it came to brand association with a healthcare provider with expertise. Health and safety are very important issues for us and our goal is to continually find new ways to ensure the well-being of our players and strengthen our brand in the Middle East.” –TradeArabia News Service

source: http://www.tradearabia.com / Trade Arabia / Home> Health & Environment> Story / Dubai, UAE / May 30th, 2016

VISA-FREE:Taiwan would need to make adjustments to tempt more Muslim travelers, such as offering Halal food, translators and eased visa restrictions, travel experts said

More needs to be done to encourage Muslim visitors to visit Taiwan, Saudi Arabian travel industry representatives said, as the Tourism Bureau aims to attract more Muslim tourists.

Cathay Pacific Airways Riyadh-based sales and marketing manager Mazen Ibrahim Kabbout and several Cathay affiliated Saudi Arabian travel agents were this week invited by the bureau to visit Taiwan. It is the first time the bureau has invited Middle Eastern agents to explore business opportunities in Taiwan.

Taiwan needs to resolve visa issues if it wants to draw more tourists from Saudi Arabia, Kabbout said.

“All Arabs, especially Saudi Arabians, need to arrange visas before they come to Taiwan, but they do not have to arrange visas for Hong Kong or the Philippines. As such, it is easier for them to travel somewhere else,” he said, adding that Taiwan should waive visa requirements or make it visa-free for visitors who travel for a certain number of days.

Taiwan also needs more English or Arabic translators for tourists, as well as more Halal certified restaurants, Kabbout said

Tom Yang, president of Big 5 Tours Co, one of the nation’s 15 certified Arabic-language tour guides, said that almost all Arabic-language tour guides have other full-time jobs because they cannot sustain themselves as a guide for Middle Eastern tour groups.

The nation’s Arabic-language tour guides mainly come from three different sources, with the first of them being university graduates studying Arabic, Yang said.

Some former military attaches have studied Arabic while stationed in the Middle East and they have became certified Arabic-language tour guides on their return to Taiwan, Yang said.

The third source is Muslims living in Taiwan who have studied Arabic overseas on scholarships provided by mosques in Taiwan, Yang said.

Yang also said more flights between Taiwan and Middle Eastern countries were necessary.

Seoul has become a popular travel destination for Arabs because Korean Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines have launched direct flights between Seoul and Riyadh, Yang said.

Yang said the group was taken to Taiwan’s scenic destinations and tried mango shaved ice, as well as Taiwanese Halal food.

The bureau said the group also explored medical tourism opportunities with a visit to the Taipei Beitou Health Management Hospital.

National Chengchi University has the nation’s only Arabic-language and culture department. The number of graduates has declined from 40 in 2012 to 25 in 2014.

Bureau statistics showed the nation had about 200,000 visitors from Muslim-majority nations last year, up 11.1 percent from 2014.

The majority of Muslim tourists are from Southeast Asian nations.

source: http://www.taipeitimes.com / Taipei Times / Home> Taiwan News / by Shelley Shan, Staff Reporter / Friday – May 27th, 2016