What has been the reason behind the growth of medical tourism?
It could be due to various reasons. The main reason for the growth of medical tourism is the ballooning cost of health care in many western countries. This cost comes under many heads; nevertheless it is a cost on the patient's pocket. In public health care systems in many countries, patients have to go through the long queue of waiting for a treatment, which is not always the best thing to do. Some governments are sterner about permitting new treatments. Some countries are a little behind on some medical advancement. In all such cases, the patients have to travel abroad for their healthcare needs.
All these patients have fueled the growth of medical tourism. To serve the needs of these patients, some countries have projected themselves as medical tourism hot spots.
To be a medical tourism hotspot, a country needs to prove itself as a provider of a cheaper but top most quality medical service. It must have JCI accredited hospitals to reassure patients of the quality and safety of their healthcare facilities. JCI, or Joint Commission International, is healthcare industry's official accreditation institution on quality.
(http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org)
Patients go abroad for treatment because it is cheaper than in their home country. But at the same time, patients need the assurance of the safety of their health.
A country also emerges as a medical tourism hot spot when it is at the very cutting edge of medical research. If the country can provide the latest in medical treatments, patients are more prone to flock to that country.
Asian countries like India and China are also popular with the western patients because of the thriving alternative, traditional treatments. Treatments like acupuncture, Unani, Ayurveda has prove itself to be very effective in curing many lifestyle diseases plaguing the modern civilization.
There are many countries that have gradually become the trademark medical tourism country for a particular treatment. For example, Brazil has become the Mecca for cosmetic and plastic surgeries; Costa Rica and Mexico is a much sought destination for dental tourists.
There are a quite a number of countries that are becoming sought after medical tourism destinations for foreign patients. Countries like Panama, Mexico are preferred by Americans for its comparative lower cost and easy accessibility. Brazil is chosen by patients for cheaper and top quality cosmetic surgeries. But Asia is actually booming as the medical tourism hub. China is much respected as the country with acupuncture, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which is highly effective treatment for many lifestyle diseases. Thailand and Malaysia have emerged as low cost option for the very latest surgeries. But the country that is seeing itself as the crown of medical tourism is India. India has proved itself as low cost healthcare providers of the most advanced and secure treatments. In all the various branches of modern medicine, India has a major presence. The most advanced surgeries are performed in this country. The cost is just a fraction of the cost of the same treatment in USA or any western country. Besides, the traditional treatments are also much sought by foreign patients. Treatments like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha has been found quite effective for many lifestyle diseases.
With the large number of countries offering themselves as medical tourism destinations, patients are confused while making a choice of country for their medical need. To resolve the confusion of the patients' world over, SurgeryPlanet has put itself at the patients' service. With its long history as medical facilitator and its long running network of service providers, SurgeryPlanet has the expertise and logistics to pick the actual facilities that can fit into the patient's requirement and into his financial capacity. Recovering from the sickness is all the patient has to do; SurgeryPlanet
This article offers an insightful overview of how different countries have positioned themselves in the global medical tourism landscape by combining cost advantages, clinical quality, and niche specializations. Highlighting examples like Brazil for cosmetic surgery, Mexico and Costa Rica for dental care, and India, Thailand, China, and Malaysia for advanced procedures plus traditional therapies clearly shows patients how to match their treatment needs with the right destination instead of choosing only on price.
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