Learn about a new type of tourism – medical, about the main aspects, features and countries leading in this direction. A special type of tourism is gaining more and more popularity, which includes not just an ordinary vacation, but also medical events held abroad.
A special type of tourism is gaining more and more popularity , which includes not just an ordinary vacation , but also medical events held abroad. The increased demand for this type of treatment is due to the varying pricing policy of healthcare conditions in some countries , as well as poorly developed technologies. Often, the bureaucratic side of the issue also causes difficulty, when a person needs to wait months to get an appointment with the right specialist, and years may pass before the operation.
Even in ancient times, it was customary to travel great distances to visit an eminent doctor. And among the Russian noblemen it was considered prestigious to improve their health “on the waters”. Today, compatriots are increasingly choosing the United States, Asia or Europe for diagnosis and treatment, because our doctors often make very unfavorable forecasts, while overseas medicine luminaries offer many alternatives to combat ailments. This is especially true for rare types of diseases.
Israel and Germany are the leaders in admitting patients from the CIS countries, although the market is expanding every day, and Switzerland, France, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, the Philippines and many other areas are already competing. This type of tourism is divided into diagnostic, health and medical tourism. It is carried out through traditional, and in some cases, alternative medicine.
Tour operators engaged in this activity must have all the constituent documents and licenses. If the client wishes, they are obliged to demonstrate them clearly. The competence of such organizations includes the selection of the countryand the best clinic, translation of medical documents and correspondence with the institution, as well as the entire list of services for ordinary travel, that is, booking plane tickets and hotel rooms, transferring and providing the patient with an interpreter or personal guide.
The most common misfortune with which people are sent abroad is cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Modern equipment and the latest technologies of foreign countries allow us to make the most accurate diagnosis, and then choose an effective method of treatment, which is sometimes the own development of local doctors.
To be treated in one’s own country or to go to another is the personal choice of each person. But, relying on medical tourism, one should approach the issue as responsibly as possible, study properly the specifics of a particular clinic and compare all the necessary costs, assessing the potential result.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Tourism
Q. What is medical tourism?
A – Medical tourism can be defined as the process of traveling outside the country of residence for the purpose of obtaining medical care. Basically, the term referred to the travel of patients from less developed countries to developed countries in search of treatments not available in their country.
Q. What are some examples of medical tourism?
A –
- Cosmetic surgery (eg breast augmentation, facelifts and liposuction)
- Dentistry (eg dental implants, dentures, crowns and whitening)
- Cardiology/cardiac surgery (eg bypass and valve replacement)
- Orthopaedic surgery (eg hip replacements, resurfacing, knee replacement and joint surgery)
Q. Why is medical tourism important?
A – Medical tourism effectively allows a middle class patient in the developed world to receive high-class treatment. Quality goes up, not down. Medical tourists have greater access to a variety of treatments than those who choose not to travel.
Q. Is medical tourism good or bad?
A – Medical tourism is something that can allow you to get the medical treatment you need when you need it, and at a more affordable price. With careful planning and preparation, you can save thousands while getting the treatments you need so you can start feeling better sooner.
Q. Is medical tourism safe?
A – There is always a risk if the chosen clinic or hospital does not practice similar sterilization procedures or hosts resistant bacteria that Americans have not been exposed to in the past. However, medical tourism can be very safe, cost-effective and can provide comparable care to hospitals in the United States.
Q. What are the disadvantages of medical tourism?
A – Medical tourism on board can be risky for patients. Irregular processes, equipment limitations, trained personnel and hygiene issues can arise. These items may be more present in services related to plastic surgery where injections are not approved and can lead to medical complications.
