Duque upbeat on medical tourism prospects
Duque upbeat on medical tourism prospects
By Macon Ramos Araneta in Phillipines
MEDICAL tourism may be the catalyst to fuel the country’s economy in the near future.
Speaking before government officials and members of the medical industry during yesterday’s launching of the Philippine Medical Tourism Program (PMTP) at the Manila Diamond Hotel in Manila, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that a total of $2.8 trillion is generated annually by the healthcare sector, considered the largest globally.
He cited the booming medical tourism industry as a potential boost to the local economy.
“The Philippines offers several competitive advantages over our Asian neighbors in terms of human resources and eco-tourism,” Duque said.
He spoke highly of Filipino healthcare providers, describing them as well-trained, highly skilled, fluent in English and caring.
The health chief also noted the competitive prices of medical and surgical procedures in the country as favorable when placed alongside other Asia-Pacific countries in terms of rates and charges in the foreign exchange market.
More than the perks it can offer the country, health tourism, according to Duque, can revitalize the Philippine medical sector, and serve as an impetus for hospitals and services to improve their standards.
Duque remained optimistic about the medical industry’s potential to keep professionals from looking for work overseas.
“Hopefully, medical tourism will be an attractive strategy to reverse the current outward migration of our professionals. We hope to entice our new doctors to stay and lure back health workers who had international training and opted to work abroad.
He stressed the four words to spell success for medical tourism: cooperation, coordination, cohesion and innovation.
For his part, Ambassador Cesar Bautista, cochairman of the PMTP Private Public Partnership, regarded medical tourism as having the potential to be a P10 billion industry.
By Macon Ramos Araneta in Phillipines
MEDICAL tourism may be the catalyst to fuel the country’s economy in the near future.
Speaking before government officials and members of the medical industry during yesterday’s launching of the Philippine Medical Tourism Program (PMTP) at the Manila Diamond Hotel in Manila, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that a total of $2.8 trillion is generated annually by the healthcare sector, considered the largest globally.
He cited the booming medical tourism industry as a potential boost to the local economy.
“The Philippines offers several competitive advantages over our Asian neighbors in terms of human resources and eco-tourism,” Duque said.
He spoke highly of Filipino healthcare providers, describing them as well-trained, highly skilled, fluent in English and caring.
The health chief also noted the competitive prices of medical and surgical procedures in the country as favorable when placed alongside other Asia-Pacific countries in terms of rates and charges in the foreign exchange market.
More than the perks it can offer the country, health tourism, according to Duque, can revitalize the Philippine medical sector, and serve as an impetus for hospitals and services to improve their standards.
Duque remained optimistic about the medical industry’s potential to keep professionals from looking for work overseas.
“Hopefully, medical tourism will be an attractive strategy to reverse the current outward migration of our professionals. We hope to entice our new doctors to stay and lure back health workers who had international training and opted to work abroad.
He stressed the four words to spell success for medical tourism: cooperation, coordination, cohesion and innovation.
For his part, Ambassador Cesar Bautista, cochairman of the PMTP Private Public Partnership, regarded medical tourism as having the potential to be a P10 billion industry.
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