Stem Cell Treatment in China
Kim's stems
Interesting, blow by blow account of treatment in China for long term illness that describes treatment and the experience of being so far from home.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
news about medical tourism and patients travelling to foreign countries for medical treatment
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Kim's stems
Interesting, blow by blow account of treatment in China for long term illness that describes treatment and the experience of being so far from home.
Medical Tourism in Russia?
Is Russia about to become the latest country to embrace the Medical Tourism/medical globalisation bandwagon. No I don't think. Whilst there are a few western quality hospitals and clinics, there is none of the confidence needed to help Russia to become a destination.
Why do people visit India? Simply, because they have every confidence that Indian doctors are excellent!
Why do people visit India? Simply, because they have every confidence that Indian doctors are excellent!
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Sunday, November 26, 2006
600, 000 Medical Tourists visit Thailand
Medical Tourism in Thailand: Thailand - world's leading medical tourism destination
Thailand, currently the world's leading medical tourism destination, attracts about 600 000 patients annually. - Sapa-AFP
Of whom some 400,000 visit just one hospital Bumrumgrad in Bangkok.
The challenge of these sorts of statistics is to decide or even divine just how many of these patients have travelled to Thailand specifically for the purpose of medical treatment and how many are simply in country.
Thailand's medical industry welcomes some 20 million visitors per year and a proportion of these will be availing themselves of local hospital services.
So Thailand may be welcoming more foreign patients but it may not be the number 1 medical tourism destination.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations, Medical Tourism Statistics
Sunday, August 06, 2006
What's next for Cuba?
What's next for Cuba? - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Interesting comments from Frank Calzon on the future for Cuba after Castro which draw attention to the ethical dilemmas faced by medical tourism companies who often gain access to local medical services that are not available to local citizens.
Q: What is life like for the average Cuban right now?
A: It’s a nightmare. Again, the Czechs, the Slovaks, the Hungarians, all those folks would understand it very well. Rationing after 40-some years. Despite the propaganda, when a child turns 7 he is no longer entitled to milk in the rationing system. That means there is no milk after age 7. The Cuban government has in place a system of apartheid where Cubans cannot enter hotels, beaches, restaurants that are set aside for foreigners. That includes medical care. Cuba has a program called Servimed for 'health tourism.' They have all the medicine and any antibiotics they might need for foreigners but there are great shortages in Cuban hospitals and local pharmacies."
Interesting comments from Frank Calzon on the future for Cuba after Castro which draw attention to the ethical dilemmas faced by medical tourism companies who often gain access to local medical services that are not available to local citizens.
Q: What is life like for the average Cuban right now?
A: It’s a nightmare. Again, the Czechs, the Slovaks, the Hungarians, all those folks would understand it very well. Rationing after 40-some years. Despite the propaganda, when a child turns 7 he is no longer entitled to milk in the rationing system. That means there is no milk after age 7. The Cuban government has in place a system of apartheid where Cubans cannot enter hotels, beaches, restaurants that are set aside for foreigners. That includes medical care. Cuba has a program called Servimed for 'health tourism.' They have all the medicine and any antibiotics they might need for foreigners but there are great shortages in Cuban hospitals and local pharmacies."
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Monday, July 17, 2006
Taiwan for Medical Tourism
Taiwan
MAC welcomes notion of Chinese 'medical' tourism
"The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) expressed welcome yesterday to suggestions by Vice President Annette Lu that Taiwan should promote 'medical tourism' to attract higher-income Chinese tourists and boost the economy.
MAC Chairman Joseph Wu said Lu's suggestions are inspirational and worthy of trying, adding that the MAC is making efforts to allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan."
It is often politicians who trumpet the benefits of medical tourism to local authorities but who very often seem to have little idea of the complexities or practicalities that might arise from implementing such a strategy.
MAC welcomes notion of Chinese 'medical' tourism
"The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) expressed welcome yesterday to suggestions by Vice President Annette Lu that Taiwan should promote 'medical tourism' to attract higher-income Chinese tourists and boost the economy.
MAC Chairman Joseph Wu said Lu's suggestions are inspirational and worthy of trying, adding that the MAC is making efforts to allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan."
It is often politicians who trumpet the benefits of medical tourism to local authorities but who very often seem to have little idea of the complexities or practicalities that might arise from implementing such a strategy.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Lucknow as Medical Tourism Destination
CDP dream: Let city be info-hub : HindustanTimes.com: "Yes Lucknow can be developed as a knowledge-based city— a city which could be the hub of IT industry in northern India. We have also got the proposal of developing Lucknow as a centre of medical tourism in India as the city has leading medical institutions like SGPGI, KGMU and best scientific institutions, laboratories, drug research centres. As far as IT is concerned, the city has good knowledge base in the form of institutions preparing computer experts. We have included all these proposals in our vision document of city,” said Tewari.
Any day and another Indian city district plans to become a major medical tourism destination. Votes anyone?
Any day and another Indian city district plans to become a major medical tourism destination. Votes anyone?
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Go To Goa And Get Healthy
Go To Goa And Get Healthy
By Jonathan Walton
Everything from a bargain tummy tuck to cut-price heart surgery is being offered in a bid to tempt health tourists to India.
Patients aiming to dodge waiting lists and get cheaper private operations can head to Goa - thanks to a deal between a Bradford business and a hospital in the Indian Ocean resort.
Going to Goa is offering all-inclusive' packages including flights, luxury lodgings and surgery.
Director Jan Bostock said clients stood to save thousands of pounds on procedures ranging from a hair transplant to a heart bypass operation.
continued...
He said: "We set this business up because we felt people were being short-changed. I had dental work recently and couldn't believe the high cost.
"There can be queues for surgery. Our service shows that these procedures should not cost the earth."
Shipley-based Mr Bostock said a private heart bypass operation costing more than £15,000 in the UK could be had for £5,000 at the partner Victor Apollo Hospital.
Flights and accommodation cost about an extra £1,000 for a three-week stay.
He said: "We are facilitators. We do not give medical advice, but our service helps people get all the facts before they decide to go ahead."
Mr Bostock said clients are able to speak to the surgeon by phone or communicate by e-mail before going ahead. The company is also aiming to set up video-conferencing.
He said: "The doctors' credentials are available for the client and in turn the medical notes for the patient are sent to the team in Goa.
"We make sure we get all the questions answered and all the checks possible in place right from the start.
"We have to make sure our clients are 100 per cent confident about the procedure.
"The hospital is comparable with a British hospital, if not better. Standards of hygiene are incredibly high. There has not been a single record of MRSA."
The company's brochure promises "first class medical facilities and first class after care treatment" as well as a "home counselling" service.
But Telegraph & Argus columnist Dr Tom Smith warned potential patients to demand facts before committing to a procedure.
He said: "There are so many questions. Is the blood transfusion system safe? Does it screen for things like hepatitis? What are the safeguards against deep vein thrombosis? How good is the nursing care? Is there evidence of MRSA?
"I would want to know a great deal about the surgeons. In the UK you can find out a surgeon's success rate in his previous 1,000 operations. How are the post-operative morbidity rates?
"People must always be careful to weigh up the risks and the benefits of going abroad for health care."
A spokesman for Bradford and Airedale PCTs said people choosing private treatment in India did so at their own risk as there is no guarantee of the standard of care.
He said: "We would strongly recommend that anyone considering this first takes advice from their GP or other health professional.
"The need for this service is also debatable as NHS waiting lists continue to fall and patients are getting faster treatment than ever before for many conditions.
"And anyone who was regarded as an urgent case would be treated even sooner, free of charge."
e-mail: jonathan.walton @bradford.newsquest.co.uk
A PATIENT'S STORY: 'SPLENDID JOB'
George Marshall travelled to Bangalore in India for a double heart bypass operation in 2005.
He said he had no regrets about having his operation abroad.
The violin repairer, pictured, 74, had felt time was running out as he waited for NHS treatment.
He said: "I'm definitely glad I did it. They did a splendid job and I speak very highly of the staff and the hospital.
"I'm not sure how happy my GP was about it, but he did say paying for these things wasn't easy."
Mr Marshall, of Ilkley, spent £4,800, including flights and medical fees on his treatment. It was a saving of £14,000 on the potential bill for a private operation in this country.
By Jonathan Walton
Everything from a bargain tummy tuck to cut-price heart surgery is being offered in a bid to tempt health tourists to India.
Patients aiming to dodge waiting lists and get cheaper private operations can head to Goa - thanks to a deal between a Bradford business and a hospital in the Indian Ocean resort.
Going to Goa is offering all-inclusive' packages including flights, luxury lodgings and surgery.
Director Jan Bostock said clients stood to save thousands of pounds on procedures ranging from a hair transplant to a heart bypass operation.
continued...
He said: "We set this business up because we felt people were being short-changed. I had dental work recently and couldn't believe the high cost.
"There can be queues for surgery. Our service shows that these procedures should not cost the earth."
Shipley-based Mr Bostock said a private heart bypass operation costing more than £15,000 in the UK could be had for £5,000 at the partner Victor Apollo Hospital.
Flights and accommodation cost about an extra £1,000 for a three-week stay.
He said: "We are facilitators. We do not give medical advice, but our service helps people get all the facts before they decide to go ahead."
Mr Bostock said clients are able to speak to the surgeon by phone or communicate by e-mail before going ahead. The company is also aiming to set up video-conferencing.
He said: "The doctors' credentials are available for the client and in turn the medical notes for the patient are sent to the team in Goa.
"We make sure we get all the questions answered and all the checks possible in place right from the start.
"We have to make sure our clients are 100 per cent confident about the procedure.
"The hospital is comparable with a British hospital, if not better. Standards of hygiene are incredibly high. There has not been a single record of MRSA."
The company's brochure promises "first class medical facilities and first class after care treatment" as well as a "home counselling" service.
But Telegraph & Argus columnist Dr Tom Smith warned potential patients to demand facts before committing to a procedure.
He said: "There are so many questions. Is the blood transfusion system safe? Does it screen for things like hepatitis? What are the safeguards against deep vein thrombosis? How good is the nursing care? Is there evidence of MRSA?
"I would want to know a great deal about the surgeons. In the UK you can find out a surgeon's success rate in his previous 1,000 operations. How are the post-operative morbidity rates?
"People must always be careful to weigh up the risks and the benefits of going abroad for health care."
A spokesman for Bradford and Airedale PCTs said people choosing private treatment in India did so at their own risk as there is no guarantee of the standard of care.
He said: "We would strongly recommend that anyone considering this first takes advice from their GP or other health professional.
"The need for this service is also debatable as NHS waiting lists continue to fall and patients are getting faster treatment than ever before for many conditions.
"And anyone who was regarded as an urgent case would be treated even sooner, free of charge."
e-mail: jonathan.walton @bradford.newsquest.co.uk
A PATIENT'S STORY: 'SPLENDID JOB'
George Marshall travelled to Bangalore in India for a double heart bypass operation in 2005.
He said he had no regrets about having his operation abroad.
The violin repairer, pictured, 74, had felt time was running out as he waited for NHS treatment.
He said: "I'm definitely glad I did it. They did a splendid job and I speak very highly of the staff and the hospital.
"I'm not sure how happy my GP was about it, but he did say paying for these things wasn't easy."
Mr Marshall, of Ilkley, spent £4,800, including flights and medical fees on his treatment. It was a saving of £14,000 on the potential bill for a private operation in this country.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Singapore Medical Tourism Hots Up
Hospitals in Singapore are poised to tap into a US$4 billion medical tourism market.
Hospitals in Singapore are poised to tap into a US$4 billion medical tourism market. Industry experts believe that, by 2012, up to 3 million medical tourists could flock into Asia seeking treatments. 70-year-old lawyer Vimalarajah Velayutham is a self-described workaholic.
He's determined not to let a painful back problem slow him down.
On the recommendation of his doctor, he's travelled from Sri Lanka to seek treatment in Singapore at Raffles Hospital.
He's just one of the more than 370,000 foreign patients who've been coming to Singapore.
Vietnam has been identified as a star market with its rising economy. A third of patients at Raffles come from markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East, Russia, and Bangladesh. Dr Prem Kumar Nair, General Manager, Business Development, Raffles Medical Group, said: "Bangladesh is a country of 130 million people. If you are to take 10 percent, it's 13 million and that is already three times Singapore's population, people who can afford private health care overseas."
Although medical tourism has been around for quite a few years, industry experts believe it's just the beginning of the beginning.
In Asia alone it's estimated there are 1.3 million medical tourists a year compared to 160 million international journeys.
This means medical tourism make up less than 1 percent of the Asian travel market.
Don Birch, CEO, Abacus International, said: "From what we're seeing is we think the growth potential is somewhere in the 30 to, sorry, 20 to 30 percent growth over the next few years, naturally no market can go on doing that indefinitely but certainly it's a strong area of growth."
This forecast estimates up to a million foreign patients could visit Singapore annually, making it a US$1.6 billion market here.
Hospitals are doing all they can to attract patients.
Dr Prem Kumar Nair, said: "We have got our studio apartments, which makes it very convenient for family members of patients particularly those family members who's relatives are very ill they are in intensive care unit or they are undergoing major surgery. They want to be as close as possible to the patients so they can stay in our studio apartments. Raffles has 20 of them."
Mr Vimalarajah Velayutham said: "The treatment in the hospital was very good, everybody I spoke to was very kind, they go out of their way to help. I'm highly pleased in the way the nurses, helpers, everybody was extremely good. These are the people ideally suited in the field of health."
And after a treatment, patients could also choose to stay on to recuperate.
It's estimated that medical tourists spend an average of US$362 a day during their overseas visit, that's more than double an average tourist's spending of US$144.
With patients travelling with families, looks like the economic spin offs for the overall tourism industry is set to grow as well.
Hospitals in Singapore are poised to tap into a US$4 billion medical tourism market. Industry experts believe that, by 2012, up to 3 million medical tourists could flock into Asia seeking treatments. 70-year-old lawyer Vimalarajah Velayutham is a self-described workaholic.
He's determined not to let a painful back problem slow him down.
On the recommendation of his doctor, he's travelled from Sri Lanka to seek treatment in Singapore at Raffles Hospital.
He's just one of the more than 370,000 foreign patients who've been coming to Singapore.
Vietnam has been identified as a star market with its rising economy. A third of patients at Raffles come from markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East, Russia, and Bangladesh. Dr Prem Kumar Nair, General Manager, Business Development, Raffles Medical Group, said: "Bangladesh is a country of 130 million people. If you are to take 10 percent, it's 13 million and that is already three times Singapore's population, people who can afford private health care overseas."
Although medical tourism has been around for quite a few years, industry experts believe it's just the beginning of the beginning.
In Asia alone it's estimated there are 1.3 million medical tourists a year compared to 160 million international journeys.
This means medical tourism make up less than 1 percent of the Asian travel market.
Don Birch, CEO, Abacus International, said: "From what we're seeing is we think the growth potential is somewhere in the 30 to, sorry, 20 to 30 percent growth over the next few years, naturally no market can go on doing that indefinitely but certainly it's a strong area of growth."
This forecast estimates up to a million foreign patients could visit Singapore annually, making it a US$1.6 billion market here.
Hospitals are doing all they can to attract patients.
Dr Prem Kumar Nair, said: "We have got our studio apartments, which makes it very convenient for family members of patients particularly those family members who's relatives are very ill they are in intensive care unit or they are undergoing major surgery. They want to be as close as possible to the patients so they can stay in our studio apartments. Raffles has 20 of them."
Mr Vimalarajah Velayutham said: "The treatment in the hospital was very good, everybody I spoke to was very kind, they go out of their way to help. I'm highly pleased in the way the nurses, helpers, everybody was extremely good. These are the people ideally suited in the field of health."
And after a treatment, patients could also choose to stay on to recuperate.
It's estimated that medical tourists spend an average of US$362 a day during their overseas visit, that's more than double an average tourist's spending of US$144.
With patients travelling with families, looks like the economic spin offs for the overall tourism industry is set to grow as well.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Medical Tourism in Singapore
Hospitals in Singapore are poised to tap into a US$4 billion medical tourism market
Hospitals in Singapore are poised to tap into a US$4 billion medical tourism market.
Industry experts believe that, by 2012, up to 3 million medical tourists could flock into Asia seeking treatments.
70-year-old lawyer Vimalarajah Velayutham is a self-described workaholic.
He's determined not to let a painful back problem slow him down.
On the recommendation of his doctor, he's travelled from Sri Lanka to seek treatment in Singapore at Raffles Hospital.
He's just one of the more than 370,000 foreign patients who've been coming to Singapore.
Vietnam has been identified as a star market with its rising economy.
A third of patients at Raffles come from markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East, Russia, and Bangladesh.
Dr Prem Kumar Nair, General Manager, Business Development, Raffles Medical Group, said: "Bangladesh is a country of 130 million people. If you are to take 10 percent, it's 13 million and that is already three times Singapore's population, people who can afford private health care overseas."
Although medical tourism has been around for quite a few years, industry experts believe it's just the beginning of the beginning.
In Asia alone it's estimated there are 1.3 million medical tourists a year compared to 160 million international journeys.
This means medical tourism make up less than 1 percent of the Asian travel market.
Don Birch, CEO, Abacus International, said: "From what we're seeing is we think the growth potential is somewhere in the 30 to, sorry, 20 to 30 percent growth over the next few years, naturally no market can go on doing that indefinitely but certainly it's a strong area of growth."
This forecast estimates up to a million foreign patients could visit Singapore annually, making it a US$1.6 billion market here.
Hospitals are doing all they can to attract patients.
Dr Prem Kumar Nair, said: "We have got our studio apartments, which makes it very convenient for family members of patients particularly those family members who's relatives are very ill they are in intensive care unit or they are undergoing major surgery. They want to be as close as possible to the patients so they can stay in our studio apartments. Raffles has 20 of them."
Mr Vimalarajah Velayutham said: "The treatment in the hospital was very good, everybody I spoke to was very kind, they go out of their way to help. I'm highly pleased in the way the nurses, helpers, everybody was extremely good. These are the people ideally suited in the field of health."
And after a treatment, patients could also choose to stay on to recuperate.
It's estimated that medical tourists spend an average of US$362 a day during their overseas visit, that's more than double an average tourist's spending of US$144.
With patients travelling with families, looks like the economic spin offs for the overall tourism industry is set to grow as well. - CNA/ch
Hospitals in Singapore are poised to tap into a US$4 billion medical tourism market.
Industry experts believe that, by 2012, up to 3 million medical tourists could flock into Asia seeking treatments.
70-year-old lawyer Vimalarajah Velayutham is a self-described workaholic.
He's determined not to let a painful back problem slow him down.
On the recommendation of his doctor, he's travelled from Sri Lanka to seek treatment in Singapore at Raffles Hospital.
He's just one of the more than 370,000 foreign patients who've been coming to Singapore.
Vietnam has been identified as a star market with its rising economy.
A third of patients at Raffles come from markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East, Russia, and Bangladesh.
Dr Prem Kumar Nair, General Manager, Business Development, Raffles Medical Group, said: "Bangladesh is a country of 130 million people. If you are to take 10 percent, it's 13 million and that is already three times Singapore's population, people who can afford private health care overseas."
Although medical tourism has been around for quite a few years, industry experts believe it's just the beginning of the beginning.
In Asia alone it's estimated there are 1.3 million medical tourists a year compared to 160 million international journeys.
This means medical tourism make up less than 1 percent of the Asian travel market.
Don Birch, CEO, Abacus International, said: "From what we're seeing is we think the growth potential is somewhere in the 30 to, sorry, 20 to 30 percent growth over the next few years, naturally no market can go on doing that indefinitely but certainly it's a strong area of growth."
This forecast estimates up to a million foreign patients could visit Singapore annually, making it a US$1.6 billion market here.
Hospitals are doing all they can to attract patients.
Dr Prem Kumar Nair, said: "We have got our studio apartments, which makes it very convenient for family members of patients particularly those family members who's relatives are very ill they are in intensive care unit or they are undergoing major surgery. They want to be as close as possible to the patients so they can stay in our studio apartments. Raffles has 20 of them."
Mr Vimalarajah Velayutham said: "The treatment in the hospital was very good, everybody I spoke to was very kind, they go out of their way to help. I'm highly pleased in the way the nurses, helpers, everybody was extremely good. These are the people ideally suited in the field of health."
And after a treatment, patients could also choose to stay on to recuperate.
It's estimated that medical tourists spend an average of US$362 a day during their overseas visit, that's more than double an average tourist's spending of US$144.
With patients travelling with families, looks like the economic spin offs for the overall tourism industry is set to grow as well. - CNA/ch
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
VietNamNet Bridge
VN not in the cut of Asian health tourism
11:50' 13/04/2006 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet – Tourism + healthcare services in Asia are expected to exceed US$4.4bil in value by 2012, yet Vietnam will take little - if any - of the cut.
Singaporean firm Abacus International recently released statistics showing that healthcare tourism is a rapidly growing and very lucrative business in Asia. However, with the five primary destinations being India, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Republic of Korea, Vietnam is likely to see little – if any – of the rewards.
Vietnam is let down by the poor infrastructure of both tourism and (especially) healthcare services. With services available in Vietnam vastly inferior to regional countries, any value garnered from this developing section of the travel industry will be purely incidental.
New mine of gold
Low costs with high service quality are the two draw cards of the healthcare tourism industry, suits played strongly by many Asian countries. This has helped them attract a multitude of foreign customers, with estimates of more than 1.6mil people purchasing travel and healthcare tours to Asia.
“Asia has become a trusted destination for healthcare, and this market will continue to grow,” said Don Birch, Abacus chairman.
Travel combined with medical examinations, treatment or cosmetic surgery posts a growth rate of 20% to 30% per year in Asia, valued at a heady US$500mil per annum for Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and India alone.
Last year, Thailand received more than 1mil foreign visitors who cited both travel and healthcare as their reasons for entry. Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok offers a wide variety of healthcare services for foreigners. Singapore is also known for its high-grade healthcare services and competitive costs.
The cost for a hip replacement in Singapore is equivalent to two thirds of costs incurred for a similar operation in the US, according to Abacus. Singapore welcomes around 370,000 healthcare travellers. This island state aims to pull 1mil such visitors a year, stitching up $1.6bil in turnover by 2012.
The travel – healthcare industry in India has been posting an annual average growth rate of 30% and the country receives around 150,000 foreign visitors a year seeking healthcare. By 2010 India could be earning revenue of at least $2.2bil from the industry, as “India provides first-grade services at third world prices,” according to the Abacus report.
In the first half of 2005, Malaysia attracted 100,000 foreign healthcare visitors and the country hopes to earn $590mil from this field in the next five years.
Customers on the travel – healthcare circuit are predominantly from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East, China, as well as some from the US and Europe.
How does Vietnam stack up?
According to Vietnam News Agency, the country has 1,030 hospitals, 95.6% of which are public. The percentage of doctors holding post-graduate diplomas is 45%.
Quality of health services at Vietnamese hospitals has improved, with a fatality rate of 5.7/1,000, down nearly 40% from 2000. Eight hospitals are eligible to conduct kidney and marrow transplants and many hospitals are rated to perform high-tech treatment methods, such as in-vitro insemination, open-heart operations, Pharco method eye surgery, and bone transplants.
HCM City has long been a destination for overseas Vietnamese seeking cosmetic surgery and healthcare services of agreeable quality at extremely low prices, especially compared to the US, Europe and some regional countries.
Dental services commonly attract foreign clientele to The Tu Du Hospital in HCM City, and the increasing needs of Cambodian patients have led Cho Ray hospital to open services in Phnom Penh.
By December 2005, more than 100 foreign groups from 21 countries were offering medical equipment and pharmaceutical products in Vietnam.
However, these statistics are of little relevance to the healthcare travel industry. State management bodies in Vietnam, including the Ministry of Health, have no statistics on the country’s earnings from travel-healthcare area, suggesting that income levels have been so marginal they are not worth tracking.
In an interview with Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, doctor Nguyen The Dung, Director of the HCM City Department of Health, said that HCM City’s health sector has proved its capability in providing high-tech healthcare services and the department will focus on this field. However, a great deal of ground must be covered in terms of travel and healthcare infrastructure development before this industry will prove lucrative for Vietnam.
11:50' 13/04/2006 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet – Tourism + healthcare services in Asia are expected to exceed US$4.4bil in value by 2012, yet Vietnam will take little - if any - of the cut.
Singaporean firm Abacus International recently released statistics showing that healthcare tourism is a rapidly growing and very lucrative business in Asia. However, with the five primary destinations being India, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Republic of Korea, Vietnam is likely to see little – if any – of the rewards.
Vietnam is let down by the poor infrastructure of both tourism and (especially) healthcare services. With services available in Vietnam vastly inferior to regional countries, any value garnered from this developing section of the travel industry will be purely incidental.
New mine of gold
Low costs with high service quality are the two draw cards of the healthcare tourism industry, suits played strongly by many Asian countries. This has helped them attract a multitude of foreign customers, with estimates of more than 1.6mil people purchasing travel and healthcare tours to Asia.
“Asia has become a trusted destination for healthcare, and this market will continue to grow,” said Don Birch, Abacus chairman.
Travel combined with medical examinations, treatment or cosmetic surgery posts a growth rate of 20% to 30% per year in Asia, valued at a heady US$500mil per annum for Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and India alone.
Last year, Thailand received more than 1mil foreign visitors who cited both travel and healthcare as their reasons for entry. Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok offers a wide variety of healthcare services for foreigners. Singapore is also known for its high-grade healthcare services and competitive costs.
The cost for a hip replacement in Singapore is equivalent to two thirds of costs incurred for a similar operation in the US, according to Abacus. Singapore welcomes around 370,000 healthcare travellers. This island state aims to pull 1mil such visitors a year, stitching up $1.6bil in turnover by 2012.
The travel – healthcare industry in India has been posting an annual average growth rate of 30% and the country receives around 150,000 foreign visitors a year seeking healthcare. By 2010 India could be earning revenue of at least $2.2bil from the industry, as “India provides first-grade services at third world prices,” according to the Abacus report.
In the first half of 2005, Malaysia attracted 100,000 foreign healthcare visitors and the country hopes to earn $590mil from this field in the next five years.
Customers on the travel – healthcare circuit are predominantly from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East, China, as well as some from the US and Europe.
How does Vietnam stack up?
According to Vietnam News Agency, the country has 1,030 hospitals, 95.6% of which are public. The percentage of doctors holding post-graduate diplomas is 45%.
Quality of health services at Vietnamese hospitals has improved, with a fatality rate of 5.7/1,000, down nearly 40% from 2000. Eight hospitals are eligible to conduct kidney and marrow transplants and many hospitals are rated to perform high-tech treatment methods, such as in-vitro insemination, open-heart operations, Pharco method eye surgery, and bone transplants.
HCM City has long been a destination for overseas Vietnamese seeking cosmetic surgery and healthcare services of agreeable quality at extremely low prices, especially compared to the US, Europe and some regional countries.
Dental services commonly attract foreign clientele to The Tu Du Hospital in HCM City, and the increasing needs of Cambodian patients have led Cho Ray hospital to open services in Phnom Penh.
By December 2005, more than 100 foreign groups from 21 countries were offering medical equipment and pharmaceutical products in Vietnam.
However, these statistics are of little relevance to the healthcare travel industry. State management bodies in Vietnam, including the Ministry of Health, have no statistics on the country’s earnings from travel-healthcare area, suggesting that income levels have been so marginal they are not worth tracking.
In an interview with Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, doctor Nguyen The Dung, Director of the HCM City Department of Health, said that HCM City’s health sector has proved its capability in providing high-tech healthcare services and the department will focus on this field. However, a great deal of ground must be covered in terms of travel and healthcare infrastructure development before this industry will prove lucrative for Vietnam.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Malaysia Launches Health Tourism Website
Malaysia Launches Website To Promote Health Tourism
From Zalina Maizan Ngah
DUBAI, May 1 (Bernama) -- Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor Monday launched the www.malaysiahealthcare.com website to promote health tourism to Malaysia.
'It is a complete facilitator for all medical and tourism-related needs, bringing together all related service providers on a single platform,' he said.
The launching was held ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) which opens here Tuesday.
The Malaysian delegation to the ATM, which is led by Tengku Adnan, comprises senior officers of Tourism Malaysia and state tourism boards, travel and tour agents and hotel operators.
At a news conference for the local media, Tengku Adnan said Malaysia would go all out to woo tourists from the Gulf region which contributed a sizeable 147,646 tourists last year.
He said tourist arrivals from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) alone totalled 29,606 in 2005, an increase of almost 40 per cent from the figure in 2004.
Tourists from the UAE, he added, did not require visas to enter Malaysia and were permitted to stay in the country up to three months."
From Zalina Maizan Ngah
DUBAI, May 1 (Bernama) -- Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor Monday launched the www.malaysiahealthcare.com website to promote health tourism to Malaysia.
'It is a complete facilitator for all medical and tourism-related needs, bringing together all related service providers on a single platform,' he said.
The launching was held ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) which opens here Tuesday.
The Malaysian delegation to the ATM, which is led by Tengku Adnan, comprises senior officers of Tourism Malaysia and state tourism boards, travel and tour agents and hotel operators.
At a news conference for the local media, Tengku Adnan said Malaysia would go all out to woo tourists from the Gulf region which contributed a sizeable 147,646 tourists last year.
He said tourist arrivals from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) alone totalled 29,606 in 2005, an increase of almost 40 per cent from the figure in 2004.
Tourists from the UAE, he added, did not require visas to enter Malaysia and were permitted to stay in the country up to three months."
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Egypt set to become a regional leader in shopping tourism | Egyptian Tourist Authority
Egypt set to become a regional leader in shopping tourism | Egyptian Tourist Authority: Egyptian tourism initiatives extend beyond shopping to include a growing market for health care, plastic surgery and therapeutic retreats.
Egyp is joining the list of countries who are promoting themselves as health tourism destinations for visitors seeking surgery abroad.
Egyp is joining the list of countries who are promoting themselves as health tourism destinations for visitors seeking surgery abroad.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Jaipur high on medical tourism - India News - Webindia123.com
Jaipur high on medical tourism - India News - Webindia123.com
Now Jaipur is plannng a medical tourism strategy... the question is probably who is not planning a medical tourism marketing campaign
Jaipur | February 18, 2006 2:40:59 PM IST
Medical tourism is gaining ground in the Pink City known for its rich history and heritage.
Tourists from Afghanistan and Pakistan are flocking here as they are get cheap and efficient health care services and are treated like a five-star patient, say doctors.
A patient from Afghanistan who has undergone cardiac angioplasty is currently recuperating at city's S K Soni Hospital, informed Dr P D Agarwal, a department head of the hospital.
Dr Agarwal informed the hospital is the first and the only one from the city to be on the panel where foreign patients can be admitted.
A UK based company Fraser Faville Ltd headed by Asmat Hussain, who is of Indian origin, is expected to sign an MoU with the hospital, and will send about 100 patients every year to S K Soni Hospital accouting for a business of Rs three crore.
The company has tied up with Hotel Rajputana Sheraton where the patients can stay and tour around the city before being admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Once the patient is admitted, the responsibility lies with the hospital till he recuperates completely, said Dr Agarwal.
Doctors from UK made a round of the S K Soni hospital and were satisfied with the facilities. There have been queries from Canada and Pakistan, informed Dr Agarwal but the actual patients are yet to come.
British patients are keen to get treated in India, especially at Jaipur as the place is an interesting tourist destination apart from being a centre of modern and advanced medical service.
Also there's a long waiting period for patients in UK under their National Health System (NHS), which often is detrimental to serious patients. Hence they prefer to get treated in India, where luxury and better health care facilities await them.
The S K Soni hospital will put up a stall at the Medical Tourism Expo, 2006 to be held in London from 2-4 June. The stall will showcase Jaipur as a major medical tourism destination and highlights its potential in the field, Dr Agarwal informed.
Now Jaipur is plannng a medical tourism strategy... the question is probably who is not planning a medical tourism marketing campaign
Jaipur | February 18, 2006 2:40:59 PM IST
Medical tourism is gaining ground in the Pink City known for its rich history and heritage.
Tourists from Afghanistan and Pakistan are flocking here as they are get cheap and efficient health care services and are treated like a five-star patient, say doctors.
A patient from Afghanistan who has undergone cardiac angioplasty is currently recuperating at city's S K Soni Hospital, informed Dr P D Agarwal, a department head of the hospital.
Dr Agarwal informed the hospital is the first and the only one from the city to be on the panel where foreign patients can be admitted.
A UK based company Fraser Faville Ltd headed by Asmat Hussain, who is of Indian origin, is expected to sign an MoU with the hospital, and will send about 100 patients every year to S K Soni Hospital accouting for a business of Rs three crore.
The company has tied up with Hotel Rajputana Sheraton where the patients can stay and tour around the city before being admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Once the patient is admitted, the responsibility lies with the hospital till he recuperates completely, said Dr Agarwal.
Doctors from UK made a round of the S K Soni hospital and were satisfied with the facilities. There have been queries from Canada and Pakistan, informed Dr Agarwal but the actual patients are yet to come.
British patients are keen to get treated in India, especially at Jaipur as the place is an interesting tourist destination apart from being a centre of modern and advanced medical service.
Also there's a long waiting period for patients in UK under their National Health System (NHS), which often is detrimental to serious patients. Hence they prefer to get treated in India, where luxury and better health care facilities await them.
The S K Soni hospital will put up a stall at the Medical Tourism Expo, 2006 to be held in London from 2-4 June. The stall will showcase Jaipur as a major medical tourism destination and highlights its potential in the field, Dr Agarwal informed.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Friday, February 17, 2006
Now Mauritius wants in on Medical Tourism
: "
Friday, February 17, 2006 (Port Louis):
Mauritian deputy prime minister has come to India to invite investments from top names in the Indian healthcare space.
Apollo Hospitals is the first to bite the bait. They are setting up a hospital in Mauritius soon and hope to get it up and running by the end of next year.
At least two other Indian groups, the Hindujas and the Oberois are talking to the Mauritian government to set up five star hospitals there.
In return they will get many incentives, including tax holidays."
I am not sure you can simply import India's medical culture by government fiat! Furthermore, they are going to have to think through their transport links as well as other aspects of their infrastructure
Friday, February 17, 2006 (Port Louis):
Mauritian deputy prime minister has come to India to invite investments from top names in the Indian healthcare space.
Apollo Hospitals is the first to bite the bait. They are setting up a hospital in Mauritius soon and hope to get it up and running by the end of next year.
At least two other Indian groups, the Hindujas and the Oberois are talking to the Mauritian government to set up five star hospitals there.
In return they will get many incentives, including tax holidays."
I am not sure you can simply import India's medical culture by government fiat! Furthermore, they are going to have to think through their transport links as well as other aspects of their infrastructure
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Docs want Vadodara to be medical tourism hot spot
Vadodara, January 24:
It was only recently that rating agency CRISIL had pointed out in a city evaluation report Vadodara’s potential to emerge as a medical tourism destination.
And in the first ever such private intiative, city doctors came together to chalk out plans to promote Vadodara as medical centre with an eye on tourists-cum-patients from Gulf, African countries in addition to NRIs and NRGs. On Friday, responding to the call by the Vadodara Initiative (VI) group, 72 leading doctors from the city held a brainstorming session to devise ways to promote the city as destination for medical tourism. In addition to its thousand-odd family physicians, Vadodara is presently home to thousand consultants, 900 nursing homes and seven multi-speciality hospitals of corporate image.
‘‘We are as good as Ahmedabad, though being a smaller city. Interestingly, unlike Mumbai, where the latest medical technology comes first to government hospitals, in Vadodara it is the private doctors who lead,’’ said Dr Mayank Bhatt, Indian Medical Association (IMA) vice-president, Vadodara chapter. After the Friday meet, the doctors have begun their task in earnest with Dr Rikesh Majmudar of Aashirvad Hospital taking up the responsibility of collecting the data of all facilities and infrastructre of city hospitals.
City’s leading tour operator, Bharat Shah of Prominent Travels believes that while medical tourism is already happening, it needs to be better organised. ‘‘The packaging has to be done, facilities needs to be marketed in travel exhibitions and also like the hotel industry, the entire hospital industry should gear itself,’’ said Shah, who attended the meet.
City doctors admit that medical tourism is already happening in an informal manner. But not in an agressive manner, like Thailand which has emerged as favoured medical tourism destination for the Westeners, believes Dr Rajiv Shah, chairman of Unity Hospital. ‘‘Vadodara doctors always have been very enterprising; instead of making individual effort it makes sense to come together,’’ said Dr Shah.
Also, leading city doctors believe that with the increasing presence of super-specialists in the city, more so after the brain drain of doctors to the US has slowed down a bit, the medical sector has become a profitable venture.
While the task of collecting information of available medical facilities and infrastructure is on, a core committee of doctors and leading citizens will be formed shortly to overlook the promotion part, said Nilesh Shukla, VI co-ordinator.
original publisher: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=167004
It was only recently that rating agency CRISIL had pointed out in a city evaluation report Vadodara’s potential to emerge as a medical tourism destination.
And in the first ever such private intiative, city doctors came together to chalk out plans to promote Vadodara as medical centre with an eye on tourists-cum-patients from Gulf, African countries in addition to NRIs and NRGs. On Friday, responding to the call by the Vadodara Initiative (VI) group, 72 leading doctors from the city held a brainstorming session to devise ways to promote the city as destination for medical tourism. In addition to its thousand-odd family physicians, Vadodara is presently home to thousand consultants, 900 nursing homes and seven multi-speciality hospitals of corporate image.
‘‘We are as good as Ahmedabad, though being a smaller city. Interestingly, unlike Mumbai, where the latest medical technology comes first to government hospitals, in Vadodara it is the private doctors who lead,’’ said Dr Mayank Bhatt, Indian Medical Association (IMA) vice-president, Vadodara chapter. After the Friday meet, the doctors have begun their task in earnest with Dr Rikesh Majmudar of Aashirvad Hospital taking up the responsibility of collecting the data of all facilities and infrastructre of city hospitals.
City’s leading tour operator, Bharat Shah of Prominent Travels believes that while medical tourism is already happening, it needs to be better organised. ‘‘The packaging has to be done, facilities needs to be marketed in travel exhibitions and also like the hotel industry, the entire hospital industry should gear itself,’’ said Shah, who attended the meet.
City doctors admit that medical tourism is already happening in an informal manner. But not in an agressive manner, like Thailand which has emerged as favoured medical tourism destination for the Westeners, believes Dr Rajiv Shah, chairman of Unity Hospital. ‘‘Vadodara doctors always have been very enterprising; instead of making individual effort it makes sense to come together,’’ said Dr Shah.
Also, leading city doctors believe that with the increasing presence of super-specialists in the city, more so after the brain drain of doctors to the US has slowed down a bit, the medical sector has become a profitable venture.
While the task of collecting information of available medical facilities and infrastructure is on, a core committee of doctors and leading citizens will be formed shortly to overlook the promotion part, said Nilesh Shukla, VI co-ordinator.
original publisher: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=167004
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Monday, January 23, 2006
Oman Travel Market highlights Medical Tourism
Times of Oman Cyprus Tourism Organisation to take part at Oman Travel Market
MUSCAT — Cyprus Tourism Organisation, which provides assistance to professional bodies, companies and individuals related to tourism in Cyprus, will be participating at Oman Travel Market, scheduled to be held from January 31 to February 2 2006.
Responsible for the promotion and marketing of tourism, the planning, regulations and development of the tourist product, Cyprus Tourism Organisation is participating as a silver sponsor and plans to cover all aspects of tourism in Cyprus, which has always been popular from various destinations across the world.
Tourists flock for various reasons, whether it be sea-sand and relaxation, archaeological interests, sports, pampering, Cypriot cuisine or on incentive, now a new reason to travel to the island has emerged.
Oman Travel Market 2006, which will highlight a new feature called 'Medical Tourism', is specially intended to meet the growing demand of Omani residents, who travel for treatment purpose and rejuvenation. More and more people are travelling to Cyprus as an affordable, enjoyable, and safe alternative to having medical, dental, and surgical procedures done in their home countries.
Kidney transplants carried out in 2005 at Paraskevaidio Surgical and Transplant Centre reached a world record in per capita terms. The centre carried out 53 kidney transplants in 2005 with a success rate of over 90 per cent, a rate considered to be one of the highest in the world. Since its establishment in 1986, the centre has carried out a total of 667 kidney transplants with the highest success rates in the world.
MUSCAT — Cyprus Tourism Organisation, which provides assistance to professional bodies, companies and individuals related to tourism in Cyprus, will be participating at Oman Travel Market, scheduled to be held from January 31 to February 2 2006.
Responsible for the promotion and marketing of tourism, the planning, regulations and development of the tourist product, Cyprus Tourism Organisation is participating as a silver sponsor and plans to cover all aspects of tourism in Cyprus, which has always been popular from various destinations across the world.
Tourists flock for various reasons, whether it be sea-sand and relaxation, archaeological interests, sports, pampering, Cypriot cuisine or on incentive, now a new reason to travel to the island has emerged.
Oman Travel Market 2006, which will highlight a new feature called 'Medical Tourism', is specially intended to meet the growing demand of Omani residents, who travel for treatment purpose and rejuvenation. More and more people are travelling to Cyprus as an affordable, enjoyable, and safe alternative to having medical, dental, and surgical procedures done in their home countries.
Kidney transplants carried out in 2005 at Paraskevaidio Surgical and Transplant Centre reached a world record in per capita terms. The centre carried out 53 kidney transplants in 2005 with a success rate of over 90 per cent, a rate considered to be one of the highest in the world. Since its establishment in 1986, the centre has carried out a total of 667 kidney transplants with the highest success rates in the world.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Sun and surgery Vancouver
24 Hours Vancouver - News: Sun and surgery Vancouver
By IRWIN LOY, 24 HOURS
Robert Stuart Smith walks without pain these days, but that wasn't always the case. Last year, the Vancouver realtor was told he'd have to wait up to two years for routine surgery.
"I was getting pretty crippled with my knee," the 72-year-old explains now. "I felt there had to be a better way."
So Smith did some research and found a B.C. company that would arrange for him to get the surgery at a private hospital in India. Immediately.
Smith couldn't say no.
"I respect the system in Canada," he says. "But there are options, so I looked at the options."
Faced with sometimes lengthy waits for health services, more and more British Columbians like Smith are also exploring their options, and a few companies have sprung up to meet their needs.
Burnaby's MedSolution is one of them.
"It's just now getting to the point where people are so fed up with having to sit and wait for 18 months in agony until they get the services they need," says spokesman John Knox. "People want to get on with their lives and they want to do it as fast as possible."
OUTSOURCED CARE
"Medical tourism", as the fledgling industry is being called because of its often-exotic destinations, has so far avoided the heated public versus private health care debate.
But some within the industry have already lobbied provincial and federal governments to look at medical tourism as a publicly-funded health care option.
In the U.K., lobbyists want the National Health Service to "outsource" some of its patients abroad. In a system that already delivers some health care through private insurance, the cost savings can be a convincing argument.
Here in Canada, patients can apply to provincial health ministries to seek funding approval for out-of-country surgeries, although it is not often granted.
Knox admits it's potentially a contentious issue.
"Should the government be paying people to get stuff done outside the country?" Knox asks. "Well, if it can't be done at home in a timely manner, I think a lot of people would feel that it should."
For now, Knox says the industry is taking a wait-and-see approach.
"We're heading into the election and from our point of view, we want to see how the cards line up after Jan. 23," Knox says. "Then we're going to be taking a look at who's running our health-care system and whether or not there's any room to pursue those kinds of talks."
THE NEXT STEP?
If recent polls are accurate, the Conservatives might well be the ones running the system. Its platform, like the Liberals, seeks to establish wait-time guarantees under a fully public system.
But if nothing's available within that time, patients can be transferred between provinces - or in some cases, and unlike the Liberal platform, to the U.S.
Such a plan would seem to leave the door open for health ministries to pay for out-of-country treatments. But Conservative health critic Steven Fletcher insists it's unlikely.
"I can't envision a scenario where to fly someone halfway around the world can be helpful to a patient quality-wise or cost-wise," Fletcher says.
But private hospitals in countries such as India likely disagree.
Whereas patients could shell out $40,000 for a hip replacement in a U.S. hospital, for example, the same procedure would cost less than $6,000 in India, according to MedSolution.
Even with airfare added on to the price, it's hard to argue there aren't potential cost savings for a health care system that's forever in need of extra funds.
In fact, the Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, already met with Liberal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh on at least one occasion last year to lobby on behalf of his region's medical tourism industry, according to Indian media reports.
Dosanjh, who did not respond to several interview requests, has said the meeting was a "courtesy" and is not interested in pursuing the matter.
By IRWIN LOY, 24 HOURS
Robert Stuart Smith walks without pain these days, but that wasn't always the case. Last year, the Vancouver realtor was told he'd have to wait up to two years for routine surgery.
"I was getting pretty crippled with my knee," the 72-year-old explains now. "I felt there had to be a better way."
So Smith did some research and found a B.C. company that would arrange for him to get the surgery at a private hospital in India. Immediately.
Smith couldn't say no.
"I respect the system in Canada," he says. "But there are options, so I looked at the options."
Faced with sometimes lengthy waits for health services, more and more British Columbians like Smith are also exploring their options, and a few companies have sprung up to meet their needs.
Burnaby's MedSolution is one of them.
"It's just now getting to the point where people are so fed up with having to sit and wait for 18 months in agony until they get the services they need," says spokesman John Knox. "People want to get on with their lives and they want to do it as fast as possible."
OUTSOURCED CARE
"Medical tourism", as the fledgling industry is being called because of its often-exotic destinations, has so far avoided the heated public versus private health care debate.
But some within the industry have already lobbied provincial and federal governments to look at medical tourism as a publicly-funded health care option.
In the U.K., lobbyists want the National Health Service to "outsource" some of its patients abroad. In a system that already delivers some health care through private insurance, the cost savings can be a convincing argument.
Here in Canada, patients can apply to provincial health ministries to seek funding approval for out-of-country surgeries, although it is not often granted.
Knox admits it's potentially a contentious issue.
"Should the government be paying people to get stuff done outside the country?" Knox asks. "Well, if it can't be done at home in a timely manner, I think a lot of people would feel that it should."
For now, Knox says the industry is taking a wait-and-see approach.
"We're heading into the election and from our point of view, we want to see how the cards line up after Jan. 23," Knox says. "Then we're going to be taking a look at who's running our health-care system and whether or not there's any room to pursue those kinds of talks."
THE NEXT STEP?
If recent polls are accurate, the Conservatives might well be the ones running the system. Its platform, like the Liberals, seeks to establish wait-time guarantees under a fully public system.
But if nothing's available within that time, patients can be transferred between provinces - or in some cases, and unlike the Liberal platform, to the U.S.
Such a plan would seem to leave the door open for health ministries to pay for out-of-country treatments. But Conservative health critic Steven Fletcher insists it's unlikely.
"I can't envision a scenario where to fly someone halfway around the world can be helpful to a patient quality-wise or cost-wise," Fletcher says.
But private hospitals in countries such as India likely disagree.
Whereas patients could shell out $40,000 for a hip replacement in a U.S. hospital, for example, the same procedure would cost less than $6,000 in India, according to MedSolution.
Even with airfare added on to the price, it's hard to argue there aren't potential cost savings for a health care system that's forever in need of extra funds.
In fact, the Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, already met with Liberal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh on at least one occasion last year to lobby on behalf of his region's medical tourism industry, according to Indian media reports.
Dosanjh, who did not respond to several interview requests, has said the meeting was a "courtesy" and is not interested in pursuing the matter.
Labels: Medical Tourism Destinations