Top 10 medical tourism destinations – List of top 10 best health tourist spots and medical tourism destinations in the the world includes Singapore, India, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil and Malaysia among other countries
List of top 10 medical tourism destinations in the world !
Singapore
With international standards of hygiene, quality health care and medical facilities, Singapore ranks number one in the list of the best medical tourism destinations in the world.
Patients come from neighboring countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, and patient numbers from Indochina, South Asia, the Middle East and Greater China are growing.
Patients from developed countries such as the United States and the UK are also beginning to choose Singapore as their medical travel destination for relatively affordable health care services in a clean cosmopolitan city.
Some of the best hospitals in South East Asia are located in Singapore.
India
Why is India among the best medical destinations in the world ? The main reason is the low cost. With qualified doctors, mainly of whom have been trained in the west, India caters to all medical tourists from across the globe.
The main centers of health tourism in India are Chennai, Goa, Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. In terms of cost and service the top hospitals in Bangalore in the south of India are a great choice.
Thailand
Thailand has many internationally accredited hospitals, including 30 JCI-accredited hospitals, it has experienced, often Western-trained medical professionals.
Besides it has the latest medical technology and has significantly lower costs of treatment when compared to corresponding procedures in the West.
Well, it then makes sense to get well soon and go shopping in Thailand. A great incentive for women patients, to go to Thailand is to go shopping. Nearly 2.5 million medical tourists from countries around the world came to Thailand for medical treatment in 2012.
Mexico
Americans, particularly those living near the Mexican border, now routinely cross to Mexico for medical care.
According to a report commissioned by Families U.S.A., a Washington advocacy group for health-care issues, “About 90 percent [feel] the care they had received in Mexico had been good or excellent.
About 80 percent rated the care they had received in the United States as good or excellent”.
In addition to dental and plastic surgery, Mexican hospitals are popular for bariatric surgery for weight loss, considered an elective procedure that is not covered by some US insurers.
Brazil
Brazil requires visas for US citizens based on a reciprocal arrangement since Brazilians are required to obtain a visa to visit the US.
Unlike in the U.S and other countries where medical procedures are simply done in an office, plastic surgery in Brazil is done only in specialized clinics or hospitals.
Malaysia
Malaysia is well on its way to develop itself as a medical tourism hub and is the most visited medical tourism destination by UK patients, attracting 8.5% of all UK medical tourists, and attracting over 1 million patients from around the globe.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica offers these levels of care ranging from Intermediate Life Saving capabilities, Complex Life Saving Treatment Capabilities, Advanced Life Savings Treatment Capabilities, and Life Style Treatment Services (Full range of dental work and cosmetic surgery)
Besides, Costa Rica’s proximity to the U.S. helps attract a large number of patients a year, from the US and Canada and this is the main reason why it figures in the list of the top 20 best medical tourism destinations in the world.
Hongkong
All 12 of Hong Kong’s private hospitals have been surveyed and accredited by the UK’s Trent Accreditation Scheme since early 2001.
Some of Hong Kong’s private hospitals have now gone on to obtain dual international accreditation, with both Trent and JCI (and have therefore attained a standard surpassing some of the best hospitals in Thailand and Singapore).
Hungary
It is worth noting that there are approximately 1,500 thermal springs and 450 public baths in Hungary and Budapest, the capital city is a destination for economical dental treatment.
Panama
Factors drawing medical tourists include Panama’s tourist appeal, position as a hub for international travel, and use of the American dollar as the official currency.
Many of Panama’s doctors are bilingual, board certified, and accustomed to working with the same medical equipment and technology used in the United States and Europe.
The next list of top 10 best medical tourism destinations in the world includes countries from South America, Asia and from the Gulf region:
Colombia
It is a first class destination for medical procedures and cosmetic treatments. Now hospitals and facilitators are beginning to successfully convince also US-Americans of the quality of medical services provided in the country.
An independent platform to compare the quality and prices of medical and cosmetic services is being supported by the government’s export agency and regional initiatives
UAE
Some of the best hospitals in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and in the other emirates of the UAE, have American-sourced international healthcare accreditation, while others are looking towards the UK, Australia and Canada for accreditation services.
For example, QHA Trent has now accredited several hospitals in the UAE.
China
China is home to leading stem cell research and treatment hospitals that offer Westerners who want to take advantage of stem cell treatments that are still considered experimental or have yet to be approved in their home country.
Cuba
Cuba’s popularity in the medical tourism industry has been growing steadily over the past 40 years.
The Cuban government has developed Cuban medical tourism to generate income for the country. Residents of Canada, the UK and most other countries can travel to Cuba without any difficulty, although a tourist visa is generally required.
For Americans, however, because of the US trade policy towards Cuba, travelers must either obtain US government approval, or, more frequently, travel to Cuba from Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas
Philippines
The Philippines is one of a few countries that sends qualified nurses, physicians and dentists to the US, the thousands serving in American medical facilities being a testament to its quality of medical education.
International accreditation of hospitals has increased, and QHA Trent has now accredited hospitals in the Philippines.
South Korea
In 2008, Korea had 27,480 foreign-based patients and the Korean health ministry expects that number to increase to 140,000 by 2015.
Top hospitals in Seoul and clinics provide a variety of medical services for medical tourists including comprehensive health screening, cancer treatment, organ transplantation, joint/rheumatism care, spinal treatment, ophthalmology, dental care, infertility treatment, otorhinolaryngology, and Korean traditional medicine.
Currently, the most popular treatments for medical tourists are cosmetic procedures such as eyelid surgery, nose jobs, facelifts and skin lightening.
South Africa
It is the first country in Africa to emerge as a destination for medical tourism and offers medical and dental care, specifically.
Jordan
More than 250,000 patients from other countries sought treatment in Jordan last year. This included an estimated 45,000 Iraqis and approximately 25,000 patients each from Palestine and Sudan.
An estimated 1,800 US citizens, 1,200 UK citizens, and 400 Canadians also sought treatment in Jordan that year. Treatment costs can be as low as 25 percent of costs in the US
Bulgaria
There are a number of modernly equipped hospitals, clinics and medical centers, therefore, health services in Bulgaria offer excellent combination of high value and state of the art medical care offered at competitive pricing.
New Zealand
Companies had been set up to promote the use of New Zealand’s private medical facilities by American customers through emphasizing the familiar culture and English language along with New Zealand’s scenic beauty.
New Zealand’s best hospitals are located primarily in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.
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