The tourism benefits are huge for Westerners in many developing countries. Many people receive treatment each year for a much lower cost than they could pay in their own home countries, and with international travel being pretty much hassle-free, it’s a great deal. More and more JCI accredited international hospitals and centers are popping up all over the world, making it much easier to find quality healthcare abroad, especially in developing countries.
The benefits of medical tourism to a country are huge, as revenue from lodging, food, and health services can add up rapidly for each tourist that comes into the country. The more people that come to a city such as Chennai or San Paolo where these medical treatments are provided, the more local revenue is taken in by the country. This income is one of the biggest advantages in medical tourism in India, and other medical tourist countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Mexico, or Costa Rica. This provides a boost for the local economy, as well as quality medical procedures for the person traveling to seek the treatment. Americans and Western dollars can also add exceptional value as they are often worth much more in comparison to the developing country’s currencies!
1. Availability Of Procedures:
Various procedures are available in different countries. Sometimes in the US or UK, these same treatments can take months or even years to obtain as people have to wait on long lists. Some of the procedures are also illegal by the FDA standards in the US, but are regularly accepted medical practices in other countries. Some of these procedures include stem-cell therapies and hip resurfacing procedures. Alternative therapies including certain acupunctures, homeopathy, naturopathy, and some herbal medicines are also more readily available and practiced in other countries as well. Yet many more treatments are more affordable abroad than in Westernized countries.
2. Quality Healthcare:
Cheaper costs for equal quality treatment and care drive people to fork out the money to travel for healthcare abroad and still save a lot of money over what they would pay in their home countries. Many countries have Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited institutions that promise international quality care even when procedures are done abroad. Other countries generally have fewer local patients per doctor ratio, as these people can’t access the healthcare in these still-developing nations mainly due to the costly affair. So, having foreign medical tourists coming in gives the medical facilities of the developing countries some additional business.
Many international doctors in these JCI accredited hospitals provide premium care equal to that in the West. Medical centers that help them provide quality care usually matches with the same amount of care which they seek in their own country. These medical centers are compelled to maintain this level of quality because JCI accredited institutions have to meet strict, international criteria to receive and keep their status within the JCI. The JCI also provides funding to help developing countries do more medical research to make advancements in various procedures they are able to offer as well as to improve facilities and doctor’s quality of care that is provided.
3. Cost-Effective Solutions:
Most Westerners can save 30-80% when they travel to a developing country to get their procedures done. It all depends on their destination as to how much they actually save. The cost to see doctors in developing nations is much lower than it is in developed countries, which is the main source of driving the price of treatments down. Most doctors at these JCI certified institutions are equally as knowledgeable as Western doctors on the procedures they are performing. This eliminates the risks involved allowing them to perform surgeries or procedures on medical tourists. They just have lower labor costs, which in turn lowers the cost of healthcare to the patient.
With today’s exploding technology, online webcam consultations can also give you a conversation with the concerned doctors before you even arrive for treatment. This can help you become reassured that this person is a certified medical professional and is qualified to perform the procedures they are offering.
4.Opportunity To Travel:
People can travel and see the world while receiving discounted, quality treatment and saving money even after paying for travel. Medical tourists choose to go visit and explore the local area or country they are visiting before or after their procedures are completed. Immersion in new cultures is also another plus of traveling to a new destination for treatment. About 90% of US citizens traveling for a medical procedure choose to spend the days before or after a procedure to go visit the area they are traveling to, and to help them see the world.
5. Enhanced Communication Services:
Booking procedures through the ever-evolving internet is easier than ever. This makes international travel less stressful and more hassle-free. Webcam sessions can help provide online consultations with your future doctors and also allow you to meet the healthcare professionals who would be performing the procedures you are seeking for. Many travel medical institutions in developing countries will also provide assistance in booking hotels and flights, providing meals, and helping coordinate payments for the procedures being sought. This allows the tourist to focus on getting preparing for their medical procedures, and ensures that things will be ready for them when they arrive.
Conclusion:
There are many medical tourism advantages that await the foreign tourists upon their arrival. Some of them range from seeing the world, to receiving treatment faster, to saving a lot of money over what you would pay in Western nations etc. There are cons to medical tourism as well, with the primary concern being the travel to the location that the person has to go in order to receive the treatment. At the same time the importance of health tourism to the countries that receive visitors cannot be overstated. Tourists coming into their countries with Western dollars boost the economy in a way their own citizens can’t, and it provides more work for doctors and healthcare professionals. Medical tourists keep them in business as many people in their own country are impoverished. This means that many locals cannot afford the premiere medical facilities offered in their home countries. So, it’s a win-win for everyone when people can get treatment, and the doctors in these countries can make good money at the same time. These are the positives of medical tourism, and what it has to offer today.
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12 Dec, 2016
