I am a lady in her early 40s, blessed with so far good genes with respect to my health. I haven’t been hospitalized (unless you count delivery). Yea, I have gone through my fair share of cold, fever, infections, fracture, etc., but yet nothing serious. I never had my loved one fret over me, or my being the cause of their worry over my ill health. I even haven’t used my medical insurance… my family have been blessed so far and so have I…touch wood…..
But that may not be the case with others. There are others out there, who can’t afford any type of medical surgery, cancer treatment and reconstructive operations arising from accidents, etc. Or maybe the specific procedure is just not in their country at all. They can’t even afford any medical insurance and God forbid if you need to seek the help of a medical practitioner with limited money and inadequate or no insurance. If you are in this situation or if you are in a situation where you can afford any medical procedures…. the next thing that will crop up in your mind is…am I getting quality medical treatment? Is my doctor good? Moreover, will I be treated like a human being? Everyone in the world should have the right to receive high quality medical treatment at a fair price. Period.
Medical tourism is an industry which provides medical, surgical and dental treatments for those seeking treatment abroad, by quality board certified professionals in international hospitals, equipped with the latest technologies. Originally, patients from less-developed countries travelled to developed countries to get treatments that were not available in their homeland. Today, people from developed countries travel to developing countries to get health care services. This shift is driven by low-cost treatments offered by developing countries, inexpensive flights and the easy availability of online information about medical services.
The word ‘tourism’ is included in this because in most cases people stay in a foreign country to get medical assistance. So, travelers can also take advantage of this situation to get to know the country in that short time. Countries that are famous for Medical Tourism are India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brazil, Thailand, Japan, Costa Rica, Turkey, Mexico, Israel and China etc.
Did you know that you can save more than 75% in financial costs when getting a medical treatment abroad rather than in the Western Countries? Wow. When you think of getting quality healthcare from another country, the first and most important question that pops into your mind is …..is it safe? Any medical surgery or procedure, no matter where it’s carried out, entails some risk, whether in the US or any other country. This is where medical travel facilitators come in to help you. They will help you find JCI accredited hospitals and board certified surgeons to give you the best quality care at an affordable price and at exotic locations!!! With respect to quality, most of the doctors have been trained in the US and/or any developed European country. Along with the treatment, the patients can also do a bit of sightseeing and travel the beautiful and diverse country that is rich in culture and heritage. Two for the price of one, eh? This is what you call, the Globalization of the Healthcare Market.