World’s Largest Medical Tourism Conference Announces Pre-Conference African Patient Workshop. This workshop will address:
Thousands of patients leave certain countries in Africa each year for high quality healthcare. Learn what it takes and how to attract African patients and how to deal with African patients cultures, customs and expectations.
The pre-conference workshop is Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 8:00am- 5:00pm, with a break at 12:00-1:00pm for the networking lunch. The Exhibit hall opens conveniently at 5:00pm! This is the one event per year where Employers, Self Funded Health Plans, Insurance Companies, and Medical Tourism Facilitators that are looking to outsource healthcare overseas have the opportunity to meet with top International Hospitals and Medical Tourism Companies in one place for the ultimate networking event.
“The best Medical Tourism Conference of the year.” This is a comment they have heard over and over from delegates who participated in the first World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress which took place in San Francisco California September 2008. The 2009 World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress promises to match that sentiment and, at the same time, provide even more networking and advanced panel sessions for this international gathering.
The conference will feature up to 2,000 attendees, up to 200 speakers, and over 125 exhibitors. Don’t miss out on the 2nd Annual World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress will take place on October 26-28th, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles California USA.
Until recently, legal restrictions on investment by overseas companies, taxation on medical tourists and limited facilities, meant that Tunisia was limited to a few, mostly local visitors, seeking cosmetic and dental surgery at small clinics. That is about to change.
All the restrictions have now been swept away, and the long-planned private hospital targeting medical tourists, will start being built in 2010. Tunisia aims at becoming a destination for medical tourism and spa procedures. A new large international airport is expected to completed and operational by the end of 2009.
Tunisia is soon to boast its first private hospital, built by the Japanese group Tokushukai Medical Corporation, in order to improve the local offer in the field of medical tourism to attract European and Arab patients. The hospital will have an initial capacity of 400 beds. Target countries will include those across Africa, particularly from Chad, Nigeria and Mali.
The Japanese TMC group, with 260 private hospitals, is the third biggest hospital group in the world, and the largest in Japan. In December 2006, Tokushukai 's first overseas hospital, Tokushukai Sofia Hospital (1,016 beds) opened in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. For Bulgaria, this was the first new general hospital that has been built in 30 years. The group hopes that the new one in Tunisia has the same appeal and impact as the one in Bulgaria has had.
According to the Tunisian Health Ministry, some 72,000 foreign patients were registered in 2006 mainly from the Maghreb region and Europe. Trade estimates for 2009 vary, but are around 75000.Higher figures you may have seen quoted, include spa visits and other wellness tourism. Most Europeans come for cosmetic surgery or dental treatment, while Africans come for surgery.
Tunisia has 80 private clinics with an accommodation capacity of 2500 beds, and most of these clinics are well developed and with the latest technologies.
Tunisia attracts more and more Brits, Germans, Italians, French, Belgians, Swiss, Portuguese, and Spaniards. The number of foreign patients having been treated in private Tunisian clinics has grown rapidly in the last five years.
Medical tourism in Tunisia has become the countries second highest foreign currency earner, and the second largest employer. Most of the 8000 doctors were trained in Europe or America, so they meet Western standards. Prices are 40% to 60% less expensive than those in Western Europe, even allowing for a stay of one week. Its proximity to Europe makes Tunisia an attractive alternative to India and Thailand, for those who want to avoid long-haul flights.
Another new investment, again believed to be with overseas money, is a planned health tourism complex that will soon be built in the El Khabayat region near Gabes; a coastal town located some 400 kilometres south of the capital. Covering an area of 140 hectares, the complex will comprise several health cure centres using essentially thermal waters for which the area is known. The complex will include hotels, leisure facilities, including a golf course as well as a congress centre.
Baja California Medical Tourism Association is a state of California non-profit association
From the Mexico border north through the Greater Los Angeles Region there are 24 million residents millions of them are faced with the need for affordable high quality medical services. To reach this vast audience the Baja California Medical Tourism Association (BCMTA www.BajaCaliforniaMedicalTourismAssociation.org) was organized as a state of California non-profit association for mutual benefit with offices in Tijuana and San Diego.
BCMTA becomes the only association outside the Republic of Mexico totally dedicated to advocating and promoting medical services, including veterinarian, for the entire state of Baja California. BCMTA as a non-profit California association plans on becoming the “Seal of Approval” to the general public seeking medical services information and referrals in the Western United States, with emphasis in California’s vast Hispanic and non-Hispanic population.
The organizers are prominent leaders in various fields – law, accounting, web design, tourist auto insurance, tour operations, media communications and marketing. The first Chairman of the Board is Judith Wilson, the managing partner of the Tijuana law office of Bryan, Gonzalez Vargas & Gonzalez Baz. The Secretary is a partner in the San Diego office of Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith, a U.S. national firm. The other organizers and board members are: Mauricio Monroy, the former managing partner of the Tijuana office of Deloitte, who left to start his own Mauricio Monroy Contadores with offices in Tijuana. Another Tijuana personality is Carlos Rosette, co-owner of Hi-Tek Mexico web designers and web hosting. Baja Bound, a major seller of Mexico auto insurance on the internet is represented by Hank Morton, President, and Geoff Hill, Vice President. For organizing the first of its kind, Medical Tours, Alfonso Hernandez the General Manager of Five Star Tours based in San Diego. And Patrick Osio, writer and radio host, and Hector Molina, television and Spanish language radio personality both with TransBorder Communications round up the Board.
“Ideas are plentiful, what is needed by the Baja medical cluster is action,” said Patrick Osio. What BCMTA will do is go directly to the California consumer with attendance at health expos, television and radio spot advertisements, news releases, commentary articles, networking with other organizations, and as guests on television and radio programs, as well as reviving The Baja Connection radio program over the Internet. And an important element is the organizing of medical tours, several of which are already in the works.
“BCMTA is actively inviting for membership medical institutions and practitioners who have a proven track record, and are accredited,” said Carlos Rosette, the Chairman of the BCMTA Marketing Committee. By having only those with full accreditation the California non-profit will sustain a high degree of credibility with the U.S. public.
Of importance, Molina said is that BCMTA will represent all of Baja California not just one municipality. Each municipality has or is organizing its own Tourism Medical Cluster to promote its own services. BCMTA will work with each of them while being a promoter for all of them. “It is of course important for each municipality to have its own medical tourism cluster, but it is not the same as having a presence in the market place where the consumer of medical services is found,” added Molina.
BCMTA as a California non-profit association brings credibility as California regulations are strictly enforced and monitored. “This separates BCMTA from all other out of country efforts providing the association with the advantage not available to those not directly present in the market place,” Molina added.
BCMTA will also advocate in California for further recognition of medical services in Baja by more health insurance companies; it will work with other organizations in promoting and lobbying for Medicare payment approval for services in Mexico; and with local authorities to expedite border crossings. BCMTA by being a California entity can also better promote the benefits of for retirees to consider buying a home and living in Baja California to avail themselves of a higher quality of life at lower costs than those in the U.S. and the availability of very good medical services and assisted living facilities for those in need of extra assistance in their daily activities.
Medical tourism is the single-fastest growing sector within the travel and tourism industry. And we all know how important tourism growth is to a destination's property investment potential.
Medical tourism is where people travel abroad to receive medical treatments like cosmetic surgery, which they could not afford in their own country.
Those travelling abroad for such treatments usually come from developed countries, where treatments are very expensive. The UK and the US are two of the biggest markets. That said: wealthy people in countries with poor health sectors often travel to countries that offer better healthcare for major treatments.
When people travel abroad for medical treatments they have two main criteria: Cost and quality of healthcare
They are looking for a place that they can both get to and be treated in cheaply, but which has a top-class health sector so that they know they will be safe. Below are three destinations which meet the criteria for perfect medical tourism destinations, and as such are some of the most popular destinations with medical tourists.
Malaysia:
Malaysia was recently found to be the most popular medical tourism destination with the growing numbers of Asia's wealthiest. They travel to Malaysia for major treatments because it has one of the best health services in, not only Asia, but the world.
Malaysia is also one of the most popular destinations with those travelling from English speaking destinations (US and UK). This is because, as an ex-British colony there is a high prevalence of English speakers in the health sector. Tourism from the two combines to make Malaysia one of the fastest growing medical tourism destinations, and well worth a property investment tailored to that market.
Costa Rica:
Costa Rica is massively popular with American medical tourists. Costa Rica disbanded the military in 1980 because of the safety and stability of the country. This makes people feel safe about visiting the country, but it also freed up billions of dollars to spend on education on healthcare.
For that reason Costa Rica now has one of the best, and most efficient health sectors in the world. Of the top destinations Costa Rica is also among the cheapest for procedures, which makes it very popular with medical tourists from around the world including the UK.
India:
India also benefits from cost effectiveness when it comes to medical tourism. People from around the world can afford surgeries and procedures in India that they would never be able to afford in the UK or even America. India is also an ex-British colony, and for that reason it has a developed, very efficient and safe health service, which again is a draw for medical tourists from abroad and within the region.
Brazil:
Brazil is fast growing into an economic giant, on the back of its massive production and agricultural sectors, and massive growth in the services sector fuelled in part by tourism growth. Though Brazil has been affected by the international downturn, it is a testament to its economic potential that its recession only lasted 2 quarters with growth resuming at 1.9% in Q2.
Over the years of economic growth, developing the infrastructure, including the health services has been a major priority of the government(s). The fact that it has been a success is testified to by FIFA choosing Brazil as host for the 2014 World Cup.
America:
Yes, that's right. America is a medical tourism destination. In fact it is one of the longest-standing medical tourism destinations in the world. That's right: Brits have been taking advantage of the dollar exchange rate and travelling to America to get their bits tucked in or pushed out since the 80s.
America's health service is first-rate. Brits trust it because it is on a par with the UK (please don't start a politics debate), and procedures are just over half the price they would be in the UK -- used to be half the price before the Pound plummeted.
Extras:
Panama is also a popular destination with American medical tourists. Its economy grew by an average 10% every year for the last few years, and a lot of this increased revenue was invested in improving the infrastructure, including the health service. Now Panama has an excellent health service and -- despite the dollarized economy -- surgery is still cheaper than America.
Many Americans are also travelling to Mexico for cosmetic surgery on the cheap. While Mexico's health service isn't known for being world class, there are some decent surgeons and people are finding them through word of mouth. Of course there are some horror stories as well from Mexico, so don't go unless you know.
The Medical Tourism Association at was pleased to participate in this year’s Service Summit and Familiarization “FAM” tour in the beautiful country of Guatemala. Facilitators from Canada and United States of America were in attendance. Jonathan Edelheit, the Chief Executive Officer of the MTA, spoke at the Summit on the Opportunities in Medical Tourism in the US Marketplace. “This is an excellent opportunity for Guatemala to shine in the medical tourism industry through its dedication to the promotion of quality healthcare and its natural ecotourism industry,” he stated.
The Guatemala Exporters Association, AGEXPORT, with the goal of promoting Guatemala as a completive country for health and wellness tourism, presented the Service Summit. The conference included a program with renowned international and local speakers, international and local companies, and included specialized business Matchmaking Sessions. The President of Guatemala, Ing. Alvaro Colom, gave an opening speech exNewsing his support of the government in making Guatemala a top destination.
Following the Service Summit, participants were able to join a FAM tour of all the companies and providers in the health and wellness sector of Guatemala. The tour included visits to some of the hospitals and clinics in the country including Renova, Centro Medico Hospital, Hospital Multimedica, Centro Dental, Vision Integral, Hope International, Herrera Llerandi Hospital, Unidental, CER, Grupo Dental, Smile Factory and Dental Care Guatemala. Providers also got a chance to meet one on one with other local participants in the Health and Wellness Tourism Commission including Novaesthetics, Top Medical Trips, CEDAF, Cardio Care, TecniScan, Clarion Suites and the airline sponsor TACA. The tour ended with a day of tourism in Antigua to explore the beauty that Guatemala offers. The FAM tour was lead by the tourism company Turitran, who guided the group throughout the four days provided culture and history of the country throughout the day.
The Medical Tourism Association seeks to provide transparency in both quality of care and pricing. Every day we see more and more that the globalization of healthcare has created a very flat world. We exchange technology, information, communication, physicians and patients. In order to ensure patient safety, it is our goal to create a transparency about the quality of healthcare that can be found in each country. With this, it is increasingly important to create a transparency in pricing as well so patients traveling overseas for care can be sure of what they are receiving without hidden costs or unforeseen expenses. The Medical Tourism Association is also working on the Quality of Care Project, which will change the way we look at the reporting of global healthcare statistics and the quality of care available at hospitals around the world.
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