Medical Tourism: What It Is And How It Works
Medical tourism is defined when a person makes a trip out of the country to receive medical care. This term has arisen with the increasing number of trips of patients in need of medical treatment, not offered in their country.
The word tourism enters into the medical concept by the fact that people remain abroad after the procedure performed. That is, the patients become visitors who enjoy the stay to know the sights.
This type of tourism does not only include medical procedures, but also an extensive range of treatments, which guarantee health and well-being. In addition, medical tourism includes benefits for patients ranging from aesthetic to physical and spiritual relaxation.
How does medical tourism work?
Medical tourism functions almost as a traditional tourism, with the difference that patients perform treatments. That is, during the trip, the patient will go through medical consultations / exams / procedures, but will also take advantage of the vacant hours to enjoy the destination.
This is because in this type of trip, the person is not usually in serious condition. So you can take advantage of what fate offers during and / or after treatment.
In addition, it also refers to well-being and therefore travelers seek a destination to relax. In this way, they can disconnect from the daily routine, which can contribute to relieving stress.
Medical tourism is an emerging tourism sector as it represents billions of dollars. In addition, it is a market that is constantly growing and is estimated to grow 25% a year over the next decade, according to a study by Oxford Economics.
Countries dispute patients
By generating income for the countries that receive this profile of tourists, the market is increasingly disputed. Millions of patient’s cross borders annually, spending around $ 5,000 between lodging, transportation, and medical expenses. That comes down to no less than billions of dollars a year.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the United States leads the market. This is because their citizens can save about 65% of medical expenses in Turkey, 80% in Malaysia and up to 90% in India. Looks like Medical tourism in India rapidly increasing and almost cover the medical tourism as compare to other countries
Other countries focused on medical tourism are: Mexico, Israel, Costa Rica, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Israel.
Brazil is not part of the list of countries of weight in this concept, thus not contributing, with the economy It is worth stressing that patients generate income to the country, since they spend with transportation, food, lodging, pharmacy, tours, services and products.
What is the profile of a patient in medical tourism?
The patient profile in medical tourism are people who want a quality treatment in a certain function. It also has patients looking for better deadlines and costs to meet their medical needs.
Among the most sought, are the treatments for:
• Elective Surgery
• Food & Beverage Outlets
• Cosmetics
• Fertility
There are also those who seek more conventional medicine. In this case, the most wanted countries are: Thailand, South Africa, Singapore, India and Malaysia.
