South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare recently announced measures to crack down on illegal brokers and to enhance medical safety for foreigners seeking cosmetic plastic surgery in the country.
The Ministry said in a report in its website that the measures were drafted after a discussion of relevant ministries at the ‘Committee on Medical Export Promotion and Medical Tourist Attraction’ in response to rising concerns about foreign patient protection.
Since 2009 when Korea began to attract medical tourists in earnest, the number of medical tourists visiting Korea grew at an annual rate of 36.9 percent, and in particular, the number of foreigners seeking plastic and cosmetic surgery has increased significantly (at 53.5 percent per annum).
“Anyone who intends to solicit foreign patients need to be registered with the Ministry of Health and Welfare in pursuant to Article 27.2 of the Medical Act,” the report said.
The ‘Measures to Regulate Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Market Targeting Medical Tourists,’ announced on 12 February, aim to ensure Korean cosmetic and plastic surgery industry remain trustworthy.
The program will have three components: stronger crack down on illegal brokers while promoting authorized medical intermediaries; building a medical information system easily accessible by patients seeking information on medical fee and clinic information; and stronger foreign patient protection and enhanced dispute resolution mechanism.
“The government will enhance the confidence and transparency of plastic surgery market to attract as much as 500 thousand foreign patients by 2017,” it said.
Moreover, the Ministry said it will do its best to ensure that the bill on ‘International Medical Project Support Act’ pending at the National Assembly be passed as early as possible as the Act needs to be legislated to provide the legal framework for the implementation of the measures.
source: http://www.enterpriseinnovation.net / Enterprise Innovation / Home> Finance Innovation> Verticals> Health / by Healthcare Innovation Editor / February 25th, 2015
