Category Archives: Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

India ‘can be a major health tourism hub’

Posted on October 24, 2013 | Comments Off on India ‘can be a major health tourism hub’

Manama, Bahrain :

India can be a major health tourism destination for Bahraini and GCC nationals and residents, leading medical industry professionals have said.

Those seeking treatment abroad due to the lack of inexpensive specialist services here can now look to India for excellent medical care.

According to Indian Medical Association (IMA) Bahrain Chapter president Dr Babu Ramachandran, the shift in destination from countries like the UK, Germany and the US to India is mainly being driven by cost considerations and comparable quality of service.

India, Dr Ramachandran told the GDN, has a highly skilled workforce, world-class locally manufactured drugs, implants, consumables and medical equipment as well as accredited hospitals with world-class infrastructure and research facilities.

“It is an opportunity we would like to highlight during the Bahrain-India Conference and Exhibition next week,” Dr Ramachandran said.

Some the biggest private healthcare providers in India will be represented by the IMA at the first-ever such event, themed ‘Bahrain-India Economic Partnership: Springboard to Access Wider Markets’.

“Delegates from India will explore potential opportunities in the region, which would mainly target medical tourism,” he said.

“We know that many Indian providers are endeavouring to open healthcare facilities in the region to obviate need to travel to India.”

The premier India-focused, trade and industry event is being held from October 22 to 24, at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

As part of the conference, a seminar titled ‘Bilateral opportunities in the healthcare sector” will also be held under the patronage of Health Minister Sadiq Al Shehabi.

Echoing the view expressed by Dr Ramachandran, Reinsurance Group of America regional director for health Dr Dennis Sebastian, who will also participate in the exhibition, said Bahrain had limited tertiary care facilities, most of which were in the public sector with expatriates restricted in accessing them.

“India has a number of centres of excellence providing high-quality tertiary and secondary care facilities, specially in treatment of cancer, heart diseases and for cosmetic and orthopaedic purposes.

“Considering that this area is progressing towards compulsory medical insurance, there are various collaborations and ventures that can be explored,” he said.

According to a McKinsey & Company report, the GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE – will face an unparalleled and unprecedented rise in demand for healthcare over the course of the next decade.

The company estimates that total healthcare spending in the region will reach $60 billion in 2025.

source: http://www.gulf-daily-news.com / Gulf Daily News / Home> Business News / by Avinash Saxena   avinash@gdn.com.bh  / Thursday – October 17th, 2013

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Rupee fall may inject health into medical tourism: Study

Posted on October 21, 2013 | Comments Off on Rupee fall may inject health into medical tourism: Study

Lucknow :

Though the fall of rupee vs dollar has impacted many sectors of the economy, it has proved to be advantageous to the patients from the Middle East, Africa and SAARC countries to the extent of getting 35% to 45% on complex surgeries at affordable rates this year, reveals the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Releasing the ASSOCHAM paper on “Falling Rupee: Lower Cost of Medical Travel,” DS Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM said, “The information gathered by ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation (ASDF) from the various private hospitals, nursing homes etc. It reveals that the inflow of patients has also gone up around 40% during the last six months.”

Rawat also said, “The cost of medical treatment in India is already considered to be about the lowest of any medical destination, the current decline in the rupee may bring even more medical tourists to India’s top hospitals.”

The paper further stated that the current market size of the Indian medical tourism sector is about Rs 7,500 crore and likely to touch Rs 12,000 crore by 2015 with 2015 with the growth rate of about 25% per annum.

The inflow of medical tourists in India is also likely to cross 45 lakh by 2015 from the current level of 25 lakh, the report states. The country attracts large number of medical tourists from the Middle East, America, and Europe and also from neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, adds the paper.

“Top-notch healthcare facilities like cardiology, joint replacement, orthopedic surgery, transplants and urology at a low price are certain key factors making India a favoured destination in terms of medical tourism,” the study further states.

States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and New Delhi are fast emerging as India’s best medical centres with several hospitals and specialty clinics coming up in the cities, added the study.

India is also offering other medical services like yoga, meditation and ayurveda, which is increasingly becoming popular as a non-surgical treatment for various ailments among the foreign patients, adds the paper.

Rawat further added that India is witnessing hoards of patients from abroad, who are coming here to undergo complex surgeries at pocket friendly rates, adds the ASSOCHAM recent assessment.

The medical procedure that cost a medical tourist US $10,000 in 2010 would now cost around $7,000- a 30 per cent difference. An Australian having the same procedure would also pay 45 per cent less today. Similarly, anyone paying in Euros would save around 25% to 35% in this current scenario, states the ASSOCHAM paper.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow> Medical Tourism / by Arunav Sinha, TNN / September 14th, 2013

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India’s top hitech hospitals set up African centre in Port Harcourt

Posted on October 20, 2013 | Comments Off on India’s top hitech hospitals set up African centre in Port Harcourt

Two top Indian hitech hospitals have sealed a deal to set up collaborative medical services in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said to be one of its kind. The new deal will turn the First Rivers Hospital Limited (FRHL) into a world-class medical tourist centre in Africa.

The Nigerian hospital signed two different agreements in the city of Pune, India, with Ruby Hall Clinic and Trans-medical Healthcare Limited. The agreements were facilitated by Reneva International Ltd, a management and training consultancy firm based in Port Harcourt.

A statement confirming the agreement which was made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt said the renowned hospital in the garden city, FRHL, achieved this feat in its quest to bring hitech medical solution to the needy in Nigeria.

By this agreement, medical cases can be properly examined and successfully managed in Nigeria without the extra burden of overseas travels while only complicated surgeries can be directed to Ruby Hall Clinics for specialist care requirements which of course will minimise the cost of medical care to patients and their families.

Details indicated that “the parties in these agreements agreed to upgrade the facilities and healthcare services at First Rivers Hospital to a world class level with the latest technologies in X-rays, sonography, CT scan/MRI, cathlab, dialysis centre, diagnostic laboratory, video conferencing suite, etc. as well as providing online/real time and direct access to specialist consultants’ expertise at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, India”.

Ruby Hall Clinic is indicated as the award-winning hospital for the best medical tourism facility in India in 2012, awarded by the Ministry of Tourism Government of India. “It is India’s most preferred medical destination with internationally renowned healthcare facility and integrated world class healthcare services that blend the 21st century state-of-the-art technology with an upscale luxury environment”.

Ruby Hall is said to have over 700 beds and 150 intensive care beds, over 3,000 staff (including 300 specialist/super consultants, 750 panel doctors and 1500 paramedical staff), 12 diagnostic centres, 4 cathlabs, 20 operation theatres, 2 linear accelerators, PET CT scanner, 3 tesla MRI scanner with broadband facility, 14 MRI machines and 6 CT scanners.

Ruby Hall Clinic is able to provide superior and diverse medical services to patients from anywhere in the world under one roof at affordable costs.

The clinic has one of the largest cardiac centres and cancer units in India with over 150,000 coronary angiographies, 80,000 angioplasties and 70,000 bypass surgeries to date. It is widely recognised as a one stop shop for cancer detection and treatment. Ruby Hall Clinic also has the most advanced centre for bone marrow and stem cell transplant in India. The dialysis unit has 20 modern hemodialysis machines performing over 15,000 dialysis sessions per year.

Sola Olanrewaju, medical director, First Rivers Hospital, said it had been his long standing vision to provide the best healthcare services to the citizenry for some time.

source: http://www.businessdayonline.com / Business Day / Home> Health Business & Living / by Ignatius Chukwu / July 23rd, 2013

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Why India, Turkey are cheapest destinations for medical tourism

Posted on October 15, 2013 | Comments Off on Why India, Turkey are cheapest destinations for medical tourism

The growing dearth of specialist medical care services in the country and a corresponding growing middle class have resulted to more Nigerians seeking treatment abroad, with India and Turkey being major destinations.

The shift in destination from countries like the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States to India and Turkey is mainly being driven by cost considerations and comparable quality of service.

BusinessDay learnt that a heart bypass treatment in Turkey goes for between $11,000 and $15,000, as against $129,750 in the US. In India, similar surgery goes for $8,666, which is far less than the $27,770 a patient will pay in the UK.

In the US, hip replacement costs over $45,000, while in Turkey it is just $10,750, India $7,000, and Ireland $19,500-$21,000. For knee replacement, it costs $40,000 in the US, $11,200 in Turkey, $7,833 in India, $11,781 in Germany, and $20,600 in the UK.

According to Osahon Enabulele, president, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), annual spend on medical tourism by Nigerians is now well above N120 billion, with an estimated 5,000 patients travelling to destinations like India and Turkey on a monthly basis, a development he describes as a huge foreign exchange drain to the nation.

Adedayo Sobamowo, managing consultant, Hermes Consulting, told BusinessDay that in terms of pricing, the US is the most expensive medical tourism destination due primarily to the high cost of healthcare in the country.

“We currently send patients from Nigeria to the US, UK, Jordan, Turkey and India,” he said. “Medical professionals in the US, including doctors, nurses and allied medical personnel, earn significantly higher salaries when compared to their counterparts in Europe and Asia. Hospitals in the UK charge between 60 percent and 70 percent of what US hospitals charge, also due to their advanced health systems and high labour costs. Turkish and Jordanian hospitals, on the other hand, charge between 40 percent and 50 percent of US pricing as a result of lower labour and operating costs.”

Sobamowo said, however, that India is the market leader in outbound medical tourism from Nigeria as it offers the lowest pricing for medical services, typically between 10 percent and 30 percent of US prices. “Most Indian tariffs are also cheaper than those offered here in Nigeria. Indian hospitals are able to offer cheaper prices than available in Nigeria due to economies of scale from high patient volumes, low operating costs as well as labour.”

Other stakeholders and practitioners attribute the trend to dearth of manpower and lack of adequate infrastructure, which led to many capable hands leaving the country to seek greener pastures abroad.

“The prices of medical tourism, health and wellness services are directly proportional to the availability of resources, infrastructure, skilled workforce, and so on,” Omar Siddiqui, managing director, Medicure Medical Travels, New Delhi, India, told BusinessDay in an exclusive chat.

India, he said, has highly skilled workforce, world-class local manufactured drugs, implants, consumables, and medical equipment as well as accredited hospitals with world-class infrastructure and research facilities. “This directly impacts the pricing of medical services as well. Now, the same services too are available in other countries but with higher prices. Besides this, the environment for business is very conducive and private participation with foreign collaboration is actively encouraged,” he added.

Nigeria, according to Omar, is the second-biggest economy in Africa, after South Africa, and has immense potential to emerge as medical tourism hub, but there is need for active participation by the government, and policy formulation that takes place should be implemented as well. “Besides this, Nigerian Diaspora can be asked to contribute towards its success. We live in a globalised world where a lot can be achieved by working together, sharing our ideas to improve the lives of people around us,” he said.

Mohamed Ali Degirmenci, supervisor of international operations, ROMOY International Health, Tourism and Consulting, told BusinessDay that they were very particular about giving adequate healthcare services because “life is very important and must not be toyed with”.

“We guarantee the lowest price for similar surgical operations and treatment in Turkey, and the prices we offer to patients are lower than the prices offered by the hospital itself. We ensure that the patient gets the same services at better prices and provide the treatment alternatives with more affordable prices than European countries, especially England and France, without long waiting periods. These and many more are reasons different people from all over the world visit Turkey for medical tourism,” he said.

ROMOY International Health Tourism and Consulting is a model health tourism assistant company approved by the Ministry of Health which has professional and highly experienced team and infrastructure. There are more than 60 specially selected wide hospital networks under the roof of ROMOY.

By: KEMI AJUMOBI

source: http://www.businessdayonline.com / Business Day / Home> Main Story / by Kemi Ajumobi / October 11th, 2013

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Chinese seek South Korean cosmetic surgery

Posted on October 13, 2013 | Comments Off on Chinese seek South Korean cosmetic surgery

Competition for better jobs in China is growing among the nation’s young people. But instead of boosting their resumes or improving their interview skills, some are now seeking an edge on other job applicants through plastic surgery. In fact, some are going so far as to travel to South Korea for their medical procedures.

26-year-old Liu Jiajia is going under the knife today at this medical clinic located in southern Seoul. She doesn’t suffer from any medical ailment, instead she has chosen a cosmetic surgical procedure to augment her facial structure, which she believes will give her the confidence to hit the job market.

“You will have better chances if you are both capable and good-looking when you have job interviews,” Liu said.

Liu is among thousands of Chinese job seekers who are making the trip across the Yellow Sea in order to enhance their appearance. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, over 30,000 Chinese nationals entered South Korea on medical tourism visas last year.

Among them, nearly two-thirds underwent cosmetic procedures.

“My friend introduced me to this clinic. I am very careful of choosing hospital. My friend told me that she had good results. She said that many South Korean celebrities have come here. And I found the chairman of the hosptial is very careful and serious, so I decided to do the surgery here,” Liu said.

The cost of such surgical procedures is generally more expensive in Korea, yet experts say that the highly skilled craftsmanship of Korean doctors makes the trip worthwhile.

And often times, patients leave satisfied before they head out into the workforce.

“Because of Korea’s superior surgical skills, the majority of overseas patients leave satisfied, and they go and pass the word to friends and relatives,” said Dr. Kim Dongha, head of Be for Plastic Surgery Clinic.

Dr. Kim offers a variety of services for his Chinese client, and his staff are specially trained to cater to Chinese patients, even offering on-the-spot interpretation.

This clinic is just one of among dozens in this neighborhood alone that target youngsters like Liu Jiajia to give them the confidence they need when they embark on their job search.

As the saying goes, first impressions are the most lasting. Hence, job recruiters say if a hiring decision comes down to two final candidates with the exact same qualifications, your appearance could be the deciding factor.

source: http://www.ecns.cn / Ecns.cn / Home> News> Society / by Web editor: Li Yan / October 09th, 2013

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