In this article, learn about the possibilities for medical tourism in five South-Asian destinations.
Medical tourism isn’t a new phenomenon, but it has grown exponentially in the last few years. A billion-dollar worldwide market, medical tourism relies on wealthy Western patients who are willing to pay for fast-tracking their medical care, which is usually slow or expensive in their home countries. Getting a medical vacation involves not only the price of the plane ticket and airfare, but also hotel accommodation before and after hospitalization. If you are interested in getting medical care in South-East Asian countries, keep reading for some information about some of the most popular destinations.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a modern city with a dozen private hospitals available for medical tourists. All accredited by the Trent Accreditation Scheme (a UK health accreditation for international destinations), health care in Hong Kong is advanced, safe and cheap. Hong Kong has some of the best hospitals in the region. Gaining from Chinese research in health care, Hong Kong doctors, often trained in Canada, the US and the UK, are competent and follow advances in their fields.
Malaysia
Malaysia hospitals, especially in Kuala Lumpur, are known to provide excellent care in the fields of eye surgery and fertility treatments. Beyond being a great spot to visit on its own, Malaysia offers a few JCI-accredited (an Australian accreditation scheme similar to Trent) hospitals that are safe and modern. Most staff speak English and have been trained in the UK and the US. A clean, modern city, Kuala Lumpur is perfect for recovery. After a complete recovery, you can then spend time visiting the beautiful beaches of Malaysia.
Philippines
You may be surprised to learn that a lot of Philippines-trained doctors, dentists and nurses practice in American hospitals. American hospitals hiring Philippino doctors is a testament to the quality of the country’s health care training. For this reason, the Philippines have seen a growth in medical tourism. The close relationship between the US and the Philippines make it a safe and modern destination for surgical procedures that have a long wait list in the US.
South Korea
Especially known for providing cosmetic procedures, South Korea is a new medical tourism hot spot. Although foreign patients are charged two to three times more than locals, South Korean hospitals still offer medical procedures at bargain prices for Westerners. People go to South Korea for cancer treatments, ophthalmology procedures and organ transplants as well as cosmetic procedures such as nose jobs and facelifts.
Singapore
Singapore is probably one of the safest medical health care destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. With 12 JCI-accredited hospitals, Singapore has the sixth best health care system in the world and the first in Asia. A clean and cosmopolitan urban region, Singapore has welcomed patients from all over the world for a few years now. The services are affordable, at the forefront of research and technology, and provided by Western-trained doctors.
After your surgery and recovery, you can enjoy extra vacation time in a resort in Malaysia, Vietnam or Bali. Why not take the time to visit the beautiful South-East Asian region while you’re there? Accommodation prices are low, activities abound and the locals are friendly and hospitable.
