Oct 25 2007
Medical Tourism in Africa 1
Whilst most discussions of medical tourism focus on US and UK citizens travelling to Eastern Europes and Asia hospitals, a growing number of African citizens are beginning to travel for surgery as well.
Whilst UK patient travel to avoid waiting lists, and US patients travel to avoid cost, Africans generally travel to access facilities and skills not available to them in their home countries. This key driver makes African medical tourism different to its northern hemisphere counterpart.
For a long time charities have provided foreign surgery whereby indigentare flown to London or USA for surgery. However what is emerging more strongly is a flow of middle class Africans who can now afford the latest surgical approaches by travelling to India and Thailand. Interestingly, it is enabling Africans to reject South Africa in which many have limited faith for the skills of Indian doctors.
Great website!! Keep up the good work!!