Category Archives: Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

Discussions conclude in Bahamas on $200 million medical tourism facility

Posted on April 27, 2013 | Comments Off on Discussions conclude in Bahamas on $200 million medical tourism facility

Nassau , Bahamas :

President of American World Clinics (AWC) Robert Priddy ended high-level meetings in Grand Bahama and New Providence last week, with talks focused on the best island to fit a proposed $200 million-plus medical tourism facility.

After a series of discussions with leaders ranging from the Office of the Prime Minister to local health professionals, AWC will analyze the three-day compilation of insightful information provided to the company.

“We’ve had several different suggestions from various individuals on where would be a good place to provide the best of global healthcare to patients,” said Priddy. “I am pleased with what I’ve seen and I look forward to exploring further.”

Specifically, the AWC executive met with Grand Bahama Port Authority executives, president of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce Barry Malcolm and several members of that island’s business community as he explored its potential.

Warm receptions in New Providence were noted at visits with the Minister of Investments Khaalis Rolle and his team, respected physician Dr Conville Brown, Minister of State in the Ministry of Legal Affairs Damian Gomez and Free National Movement Chairman Darron Cash.

AWC is now looking forward to building upon these relationships for the possible establishment of a $200 million to $250 million venture to create over 200 jobs once complete. The development of a proposed 1,500 square-feet hospital would be the country’s biggest medical tourism site to target medical travelers, the expatriate community and local patients seeking the US standard of medicine and medical care in some of the world’s most desirable tourist and business locations.

AWC has targeted Barbados in the southern Caribbean, The Bahamas in the north as well as the Canary Islands and Uruguay to start with. The company works closely with local governments in developing their hospitals and presents a unique public-private partnership model that will bring considerable wealth to the host countries.

source: http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com / Caribbean News Now / Home> News  / April 26th, 2013

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Posted in Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Others, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

Turkish Medical Tourism Lures Lesbos Residents

Posted on April 25, 2013 | Comments Off on Turkish Medical Tourism Lures Lesbos Residents

A private hospital in Adramyttion, Turkey is calling the residents of the Greek Island Lesbos for medical exams and hospitalization at very good prices, while they are bombarded with publicity in the press and on the Internet, according to an announcement issued by the Athens Medical Association (ISA).

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ISA notes that this is an “attack of interest”, which is projected by the mass media of Lesbos as medical tourism in Turkey, with no reactions on the Greek side.

ISA denounced that the Medical Association of Lesbos has sent a written protest about this issue, reporting that the health and national identity of the island’s residents is “threatened by a premium Turkish interest and a general Greek indifference.”

The announcement continues: “Why do thousands of children of the Aegean have to grow up without pediatricians and not with Turkish pediatricians, since Greece has not a single pediatrician to send? One thing is for sure: If Greece leaves dozens of islands and thousands of children without medical care, somebody else will be found to raise them.”

The Lesbos Medical Association has sent many paper reports, but there has been no official answer.

source: http://www.greece.greekreporter.com / Greek Reporter / Home / by Margarita Papantoniou / April 24th, 2013

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Posted in Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

Coordination, next bet to scale up medical tourism in TN

Posted on April 20, 2013 | Comments Off on Coordination, next bet to scale up medical tourism in TN
Ramping up: The Apollo Hospitals group is one of muchsought after destinations by medical tourists. / The Hindu

Ramping up: The Apollo Hospitals group is one of muchsought after destinations by medical tourists. / The Hindu

Healthcare players say airlines, airports, hotels should work together

Chennai :   

Healthcare practitioners in the State have urged all stakeholders for a coordinated effort to promote medical tourism.

While Tamil Nadu is already a hub, there is no coordination among hospitals, airlines, airports, hotels and resorts, said Srinidhi Chidambaram, Vice-President, Apollo Hospitals Group, at a CII conference on medical tourism. “All allied sectors must form a consortium to help medical value travellers.”

Raja Sabapathy, Director, Ganga Hospitals, said hospitals must also work together to share best practices and learn from one another.

Last year, the country earned revenues of $2.5 billion from health tourism, driven by factors such as affordable prices, shorter waiting period for patients, clinical excellence and high success rate. Around 1.1 million foreign patients are said to have visited India in 2012.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate of 26 per cent, health tourism is poised to cross $3 billion by the end of this year.

Tamil Nadu, with its well-known hospitals in Chennai, Coimbatore, Vellore and Madurai, contributes 40 per cent of India’s medical tourism industry. The state is especially sought-after for treatment relating to cardiology, oncology and neurology.

Mike Nithavrianakis, Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission, said apart from corporate hospitals, Tamil Nadu also boasts of several not-for-profit institutions such as Sankara Nethralaya, CMC Vellore and Aravind Eye Hospitals.

Research institute IIT-Madras is also making headway in finding innovative solutions for cataract surgeries and cheaper ultrasound scanners. British specialists and universities are willing to collaborate with the State and country for more breakthroughs, said Nithavrianakis.

But India needs to watch out for competition from Cuba, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Israel and Jordan, which are also keen on promoting medical tourism.

“Lack of uniform pricing among hospitals, lack of insurance coverage for overseas medical care and stringent visa norms are a few stumbling blocks,” said Srinidhi Chidambaram.

Widespread NABH accreditation (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers) and standardised norms for alternative remedies will assure travellers of a positive experience in the country, she said.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Travel / The Hindu Bureau / April 19th, 2013

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

Bring us your sick, your infirm

Posted on April 18, 2013 | Comments Off on Bring us your sick, your infirm

HealthCT18apr2013

Wives of foreign visitors gather to learn some basics of traditional Chinese medicine in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Photo: CFP

At the Boao Forum for Asia earlier this month, Hainan Province published a plan to build a special zone for medical tourism, the first in the country. In one fell swoop, China’s tropical island province is attempting to attract overseas medical institutions as well as patients.

At about the same time, it was reported that in 2012, China topped the US to become the first source of medical tourists going to South Korea, accounting for 63 percent of all medical tourists in the country.

But while neighboring countries like India, Thailand and South Korea have long had a head start in the global medical tourism market attracting many Chinese to their shores, China’s medical tourism industry at home is in its infancy. Government support, strategy and infrastructure building will all be necessary if China wants to compete in this ever-growing market.

Liu Tingfang, a professor at the Institute for Hospital Management of Tsinghua University, has been pushing to develop medical tourism for over a decade. Back in 1996, while running a hospital in Hainan, Liu brought up the idea as a way to revive the hospital, which was going through a rough patch. But the hospital didn’t have enough resources to develop this new commercial arm.

After years of lobbying by Liu and other like-minded people, the provincial government began including medical tourism into its five-year plans in the late 1990s, but nothing has materialized.

It was not until China announced plans to develop Hainan as an International Tourism Island in 2010 that the idea of medical tourism finally got some real attention. The Boao Forum for Asia 2013 featured a Health and Tourism Roundtable oriented around the potential for medical tourism and the International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan Province.

Many medical professionals believe that China can be competitive globally, given its advantageous healthcare prices. Heart surgeries cost around one tenth of US prices while hip or knee replacements in Shanghai are more than 70 percent cheaper than in the US.

source: http://www.globaltimes.cn / Global Times / Home> / by Xuyang Jingjing / April 18th, 2013

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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

Iran earned $1.5bn from health tourism last year

Posted on April 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Iran earned $1.5bn from health tourism last year

Rasht, Gilan Prov. :

healthIranCT11apr2013

Deputy Head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism organisation Manouchehr Jahanian said here on tuesday that Iran hosted 200,000 health tourists last year. 

Addressing a ceremony to open Qaem Hospital in the northern city of Rasht on Tuesday, Jahanian said the countryˈs income from health tourism stood at $1.5 billion.

He said the tourists were from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iraq, Turkey, India and Pakistan.

He added that last year, more than 4.5 million foreign tourists spent nine billion dollars in Iran creating jobs for 2.5 million people directly or indirectly.

He noted that enjoying diversified climates as well as numerous tourist and historical attractions are among advantages of Iranˈs tourism sector.

source: http://www.irna.ir / Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) / Home> Latest News / April 09th, 2013

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