Category Archives: Reports,Features, Statistics

The new regional hub for cosmetic surgery

Posted on February 3, 2014 | Comments Off on The new regional hub for cosmetic surgery

A French-based forum for plastic surgeons and dermatologists opined that the strongest global growth for aesthetic procedures will be in the Asian market.

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Bangkok : 

Thailand is aiming to become the regional hub for cosmetic surgery, a market that could help earn it an estimated RM20.4 billion (US$6.8 billion) over the next five years.

Thailand is already the leading country for medical tourism in Southeast Asia.

The country’s medical council and a number of plastic surgeons have urged the government to support their efforts to promote cosmetic surgery in Thailand.

Private hospitals, hotels and associations of dentists and physicians have also launched the Medical Tourism Association, which proposes special cosmetic surgery packages for medial tourists.

For example, a breast-surgery package being marketed in the UK would include return airfare, a stay at a luxury hotel in Bangkok and a shopping trip. Total cost will be around RM30,600( US$10,200).

A similar surgery alone in the UK would set the patient back by around RM51,000 (US$17,000,) the association said.

The global market for aesthetic procedures grew by 10%  in 2012 and is expected to grow at the same rate in 2013.

According to a report by IMCAS, a French-based forum for plastic surgeons and dermatologists, released in January 2013, the strongest growth will be in the Asian market.

It is predicted that the Asian market, where nose and eyelid surgeries, as well as breast augmentation and liposuction are popular, will see a 14% growth.

Currently, the global market for plastic surgery has a value of around RM18 billion (US$6 billion), the IMCAS report said.

Middle East market

In Asia, China has the highest number of people undergoing cosmetic surgery, followed by Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

In Thailand, rhinoplasty, double eyelid and sex-change operations are most popular among foreign visitors from Asia and neighbouring countries like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Furthermore, a rising number of medical tourists from the Middle East is seeking cosmetic surgery in Thailand following a boom in demand in wealthy oil states such as the UAE, as well as in Lebanon and Iran.

The most sought-after procedures for this group in Thailand include male breast reduction, liposuction and rhinoplasty.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals are one of the main source markets for medical tourists to Thailand.

Of the 140,000 Arab patients visiting Thailand in 2011, 40% came from the UAE, and others mainly from Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar.

So crucial is this market that last year Thailand offered this group a visa fee exemption for medical purposes only.

Prices for cosmetic surgery in Thailand range from

Breast Augmentation: RM9,600 (US$3,200)

Breast Reduction: RM12,000 (US$4,000)

Breast Lift: RM9,600 (US$3,200)

Male Breast Reduction: RM8,400 (US$2,800)

Liposuction: RM5,400 (US$1,600)

Tummy Tuck: RM10,200) (US$3,400)

Body Lift: RM27,900 (US$9,300)

Full Facelift: RM21,600 (US$7,200)

Nose Reshaping: RM6,300 (US$2,100)

Nose Implant: RM 2,010 (US$670)

Eyelid Surgery: RM2,400 (US$600)

Botox Injection: RM1,200 (US$400)

Penile Surgery: RM4,500 (US$1,500)

Vaginal Surgery: RM2,490 (US$830)

Sex Change: RM27,000 (US$9,000)

Source: Hospital price lists

This report first appeared in http://www.investvine.com

source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com / FMT News / Home> Features / by Arno Maierbrugger / January 27th, 2014

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Posted in Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Medical Treatment/Health Treatment Subject By Speciality, Reports,Features, Statistics, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

Work on first phase of $1bn Intl Medical City to start soon

Posted on February 3, 2014 | Comments Off on Work on first phase of $1bn Intl Medical City to start soon

Oman-Medical-CityCT04feb2014

Muscat :

The promoters of the International Medical City (IMC) project planned in Salalah say they have made significant headway in preparing the groundwork for the actual physical development of the estimated $1 billion scheme. Phase 1 of the ambitious development, touted as the “change agent” that will eventually place the Sultanate of Oman on the world health tourism map, is expected to be kicked off in the coming months, according to a key representative of the Saudi-based Apex Medical Group, which is overseeing the implementation of the prestigious venture. Almost all of the major milestones leading to the commencement of work on the project have so far been achieved, said Dr Naeema Aziz, Chief Operating Officer. They include permits and licenses, as well as studies necessary to advance the project through to the groundbreaking stage, Dr Aziz told delegates attending the Focus Day proceedings of the Oman Construction Summit 2014 at Crowne Plaza Muscat yesterday. The three-day event has been organised by IQPC of Dubai in association with Global Exhibitions & Conferences of Oman.

The massive development, designed to position Oman as a global medical tourism hub, will be constructed on an 866,000 sq metre site leased from the Ministry of Tourism. It will essentially feature three major components — a healthcare resort with staff accommodations, healthcare complex, and healthcare education complex — development of which will take place over two phases. The centrepiece is a 530-bed multi-tertiary hospital catering to 21 different specialties. Underlining the progress made thus far in the development of the scheme, Dr Aziz said the engineering design of the project infrastructure has been completion, with a Request for Proposals (RfP) due to be floated soon for the construction of the main hospital. “We are in the process of prequalifying the designers and contractors for the healthcare component of the project. For the detailed engineering design and construction of the hospital, we have decided to approach specialised firms that have substantial experience in this field,” the Chief Operating Officer said.

Also ongoing is the detailed engineering design of the hospitality component (centring on the healthcare resort). “We are in the process of appointing a detailed hospitality designer, an EPC (engineering-procurement-construction) contractor, and a technical supervisor,” Dr Aziz said, adding that negotiations are ongoing with two potential candidates for the operation of the healthcare resort. Over the 2014-2015 timeframe, the focus will shift to the infrastructure development of the project, as well as the engineering design of the healthcare component and the hotel apartments. The main multi-tertiary hospital is slated for pre-commissioning in 2016 ahead of its planned launch in the second half of 2017, she said. Phase 1 of the project, towards which around $300 million have been earmarked by the promoters, will generate significant contracting, service and other business opportunities for local and international companies, Dr Aziz added.
(OEPPA Business Development Dept)

source: http://www.main.omanobserver.om / Oman Daily Observer / Home> Business / by Oman Observer> Business / by Conrad Prabha / Sunday – January 26th, 2014

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Posted in Associations/Organisations/Government/NonGovernment, Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Healthcare Cities, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Medical Treatment/Health Treatment Subject By Speciality, Reports,Features, Statistics, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

Medical Tourism Service Explains How Cancer Patients Can Save Money on Treatment

Posted on February 1, 2014 | Comments Off on Medical Tourism Service Explains How Cancer Patients Can Save Money on Treatment

Medical Blossoms, a trained network of medical tourism professionals, has released a new article detailing how medical tourism can help save cancer patients from financial upset.

Cancer is one of the most devastating health issues an individual can face. Throughout treatment, it dramatically affects the patient’s life, sometimes to an extreme degree. Unfortunately, not only does cancer affect an individual’s quality of living, it also can completely drain them of their finances. Those who can’t pay for cancer treatment must either go into heavy debt or forgo the treatment and risk losing their life. Neither paths are desirable.

That is why Medical Blossoms, an expert medical service finder, is dedicated to finding cancer patients affordable health care around the world. In their recent article , they describe how this is accomplished. Medical Blossoms was established for the sole purpose of finding patients inexpensive health care in locations across the international medical community.

Concern for quality treatment is legitimate, and caution is advised for any patient. However, Medical Blossoms is dedicated to finding the best facilities and highly trained physicians. The article explains: “The global treatment protocols related to treatment of cancer are on par with domestic regulations and procedures. Facilities and equipment in foreign countries are just as developed as technology you would find in United States hospitals.”

Throughout the article, patients are given valuable information and advice regarding treatment abroad. For additional knowledge on medical tourism, visit  http://medicalblossoms.com/.

source: http://www.prweb.com / PRWeb / Home / January 28th, 2014

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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Reports,Features, Statistics

Medical Tourism Startup Providing Jobs for Tunisian Women

Posted on January 30, 2014 | Comments Off on Medical Tourism Startup Providing Jobs for Tunisian Women

Chicago, IL :

With a commitment and dedication to education — and an impressive standing of knowledge and expertise in many areas of studies, Tunisian women put themselves in a position to acquire strong workplace endeavors.

But over the years, these hard-working women have fallen victim to immense unemployment rates.

With a profound impact on the medical tourism industry, VisitandCare.com not only recognized the valuable talent and impeccable work ethics of Tunisian women, but set out to help them fight off the massive level of employment uncertainties.

Tunisian women bring an impeccable amount of endowments to the company’s global initiative, including multilingual expertise to reach the Arabic, French, and English-speaking markets.

“We are pleased to provide this deserving population with meaningful and sustainable employment,” stated Tolga Umar, CEO of VisitandCare.com. “The addition of these highly-educated women have helped us to achieve growth in all of our healthcare regions.”

Encouraging Employment for Women —

The unemployment rates in Tunisia have been deemed an insoluble problem that has shown very few signs of improvement.

With 70 percent of men in Tunisia joining the workforce, only 27 percent of women have been employed.

This substantial lack of hiring is not only hindering the careers of Tunisian women, but also a greater impediment — the progression of a country.

”The Arabic Spring was the name given to the Arabic revolution including Tunisia. It was intended to solve the problems of the economic situation specifically the unemployment for women. What happened is that it has only aggravated the situation,” stated Abir Dhahbi, Human Resources and B2B Relations Manager at VisitandCare.com. ”Thanks to VisitandCare.com Tunisia, we’re establishing great collaborations with doctor’s worldwide while helping people’s lives. I think this can only bring the real ‘spring’ to the Tunisian economy and for Tunisian women.”

Fueling Job Growth —

In 2012, 6 percent of VisitandCare.com employees were Tunisian. Today, the company is proud to announce that Tunisian’s make up 60 percent of their dynamic workforce.

“I believe Tunisian women have more to say about themselves; they are polyvalent, committed and well educated. I think they are a good investment,” stated Maha Issawi, Patient Facilitator Manager at VisitandCare.com.

Having added several Tunisian women to its team of patient coordinators, and translations team — the company forecasts a growth spurt of 20 percent moving ahead in 2014. The medical tourism giant plans on adding IT programmers, patient facilitators and a business development group.

Rooted in compassion and driven by innovation, the company is inspiring the next generation to embrace life and learning.

source: http://www.digitaljournalism.com / Digital Journal / Home> Press Release / PRWEB.com newservice – Chicago, IL / January 21st, 2014

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Posted in Healthcare Service Providers, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Reports,Features, Statistics

Medical Big Data: Korea Develops Big Data-based Medical Information System

Posted on January 29, 2014 | Comments Off on Medical Big Data: Korea Develops Big Data-based Medical Information System

medical big dataCT29jan2014

In Korea, patients will be able to easily get information about hospitals and estimated medical expenses related to their diseases by utilizing Big Data. Hospitals and medical nursing homes are also expected to easily obtain medical information to more effectively run their facilities.

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the National Information Society Agency released the results of Medical Information Consulting on January 21, which suggests services that will help promote public health and streamline the management of medical facilities. The initiative is possible by connecting medical data and statistics of the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA).

First, the service to provide information about medical treatments allows people to find the exact name of their illnesses through a natural language search of medical dictionaries. It also provides information about the estimated duration and costs of medical treatments for certain diseases, based on HIRA’s 7.581 billion cases (33 TB) of evaluation information and 11.6 billion cases of prescription information (6.5 TB).

Next, the service to support the effective management of medical facilities provides information about the supply and demand of medical service in specific regions to medical centers and medical nursing homes, based on 22,000 cases of information on medical institutions (4 TB), local populations, and their incomes.

Finally, the service to support the medical industry provides information about the nationwide distribution of medicines, prescription tendencies, and medical equipment distribution, based on information from about 700,000 cases of pharmaceutical production (6.4 TB), 1.2 billion cases of pharmaceutical supply (6 TB), and medical devices.

source : http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/ Business Korea / Home> National Politics & Policy / January 22nd, 2014

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Posted in Associations/Organisations/Government/NonGovernment, Health/Medical/Wellness Marketing And Management, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Reports,Features, Statistics