THE Cebu Health and Wellness Council (CHWC) has recently met with the diplomatic corps in Cebu to reintroduce the medical tourism packages that is being promoted in Cebu.
Patria Aurora Roa, Cebu Province tourism consultant, said the meeting was meant to inform the consuls here that Cebu is actively promoting medical tourism besides Mice, leisure, eco-tourism and culture and heritage, which they can promote to the country they represent.
CHWC is a private sector-led association of industry stakeholders that sets the direction in developing and promoting the health and wellness industry in Cebu.
According to Roa, Cebu has an advantage in the medical tourism arena because of its competitive medical tourism packages, which covers the accommodation, medical treatment and leisure.
She noted that tourists come to Cebu for light medical procedures and dental services.
“Our advantage is that we are cheaper in the medical procedures but not in accommodation. However, Cebu has plenty of alternatives. In fact, some tourists who come here, for instance, choose the homestay,” said Roa, who is the region’s former tourism chief.
Latvian consul Robert Joseph said the country has a strong potential to get a bigger share in the regional medical tourism market because of the country’s brand of hospitality, highly-qualified English-speaking medical professionals, competitive pricing in medical services and numerous tourist attractions like beaches that are ideal for recuperation.
On top of foreign tourists, another captured market of this tourism product are the overseas Filipino workers.
Ranking
The Philippines was among the top 15 medical tourism destinations in 2010. The country is ranked 11th in medical tourism, which has 80,000 medical tourists but trails behind Thailand (1st), Singapore (2nd), and Malaysia (5th), according to the state think thank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
Thailand has the top position among the medical tourism destinations, with a total of 1.2 million medical tourists in 2010. Other Asean countries have shown exemplary performance, with Singapore having 600,000 and Malaysia with 350,000 medical tourists that same year.
To improve the country’s status, Oscar Picazo, senior research consultant at PIDS, recommends the establishment of a coordinating body among offices and agencies involved in the medical tourism industry. A marketing campaign for the premier hospitals included under the Philippine Medical Tourism Program (PMTP) must also be crafted and implemented.
Recommendations
Attractive websites should also be developed to promote medical tourism instead of relying on less enticing news items and blogs. Medical facilities should also work toward international affiliations for quality assurance and vibrant medical campaign.
The industry, he added, should also take advantage of the Long Stay Visitor Visa
Extension, which is good for 36 months and urged local carriers to develop medical airline packages to attract more foreign tourists. He also called for stronger ties between hospitals and international health insurance companies will also build a responsive and transparent pricing of medical services.
Philippine hospitals, on the other hand, are advised to get accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI), as the country is still lagging behind in terms of JCI-accredited hospitals among its Asian competitors.
The JCI-accredited hospitals in Cebu are Chong Hua Hospital and Cebu Doctor’s Hospital.
source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph / Sun Star, Cebu / Home> Cebu> Business / by Katlene O Cacho / Wednesday – December 03rd, 2014
