Medical Tourism - First world service at third world cost
Author: Ali Abdi dahir
0 Commentries
Abstract
Medical tourism, where patients travel overseas for operations, has grown rapidly in the past decade, especially for cosmetic surgery. High costs and long waiting lists at home, new technology and skills in destination countries alongside reduced transport costs and Internet marketing have all played a role. Several Asian countries are dominant, but most countries have sought to enter the market.
Keywords: Health; Medicine; Tourism; Asia; Economics
Before the days of ancient Rome, some individuals have travelled to seek medical treatment from foreign countries (Marsek & Shape, 2009; Weiermair & Mathies, 2004); nevertheless, this phenomenon has gain major popularity among the first world countries in the past 10 years (Edelheit, 2009). Popularly known as a "medical tourism" this individuals engaging such travelled are mostly seeking cosmetic enhancements, dental treatments, hip replacements or heard surgery etc. Medical tourism is defined as "the act of travelling abroad to obtain medical care" (Keckley, 2008, p. 4). The medical tourism market is driven by cost saving, similar or better quality care, also short waiting time, in other words quicker access to the care (Keckley, 2008).
Until recently medical care has generally been from less develop nations to more developed countries (Horowiz, Rosenweig, & Jones, 2007). In context to the travellers which are seeking great experience and technology available with no regard of the cost, the travellers of medical tourism on the other hand are mainly dominated by individuals motivated to get a quality health care at price more affordable to them (Cormany D, & Baloglu S, 2011).
With these growing trend of medical tourism has as increased globally as an industry, and it's been marketed as niche product that companies both medical services and tourism packages (Connell, 2006). In addition to the North America and Western European nations, this patterns has shifted to other developing countries (Kangas, 2007; Lautier, 2008), remarkably to the united Arab Emirates, Thailand, Singapore, India and Tunisia etc., nation with highly sophisticated infrastructures and lower cost in healthcare (Behrmann J., & Smith E., 2010).
The main region for the medical tourism is Asia, Thailand is long know for the tourism and medical tourism as early as the 1970s due to the specialised sex change operations, and after came cosmetic surgery. In order to compete in this new highly competitive marker Thailand has duplicated the western medical protocols and implemented with the low cost and promoted with the sound strategy (Connell, 2006).
According to Connell, (2006) Success rates are comparable even in for the procedures that can have high infection rates, such as heart operations, bone narrow transplants and kidney transplants with the one of the world's top hospitals. For example India's annual Medical Tourism Expo predicts that by 2012 it will earn up to $2 billion.
Medical tourism is more likely to increase than decline; however the cost gab between first world countries and third world countries will properly stay the same. As the demand for these trends keeps growing is more likely that cosmetic surgery, also heart surgery as a key element in medical tourism. Moreover, since the medical tourism in third world countries keep improving and demand will grow substantially. There is a chance that western insurance companies will encourage their patients to go overseas for the medical treatment because they are cheaper (Connell, 2006).
Ethical issues are becoming significant in terms of equity and quality of the health care is first class and can be afforded only by first class people, "the more privilege" ones. Although increased trend of medical tourism has helped many people who simply could not afford or wait for the treatment in the first world countries. Nevertheless, medical tourism industry has been promoting themselves as ethically responsible for the host communities, and yet it seems to be catering only foreign patients, and without regard to the local citizens.
Finally, although medical tourism boost local communities economy by creating jobs, etc. and also helps people who would not simply be able to afford it in their country. This raises the question of whose responsibility it is to look after local communities' interest; patients, local government, private clinics? What form of regulation is needed and is this possible?
References
Behrmann J., & Smith E., 2010. Top 7 Issues in Medical Tourism: Challenges, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions for Research and Policy Development. Global Journal of Health Science Vol. 2, No. 2; October 2010
Connell, 2006. Medical tourism: Sea, sun, sand and surgery. Tourism Management 27 (2006) 1093-1100
Edelheit, J. (2009). The effects of the world economic recession on medical tourism.
Medical Tourism Magazine, 9, 22e24.
Marsek, P., & Sharpe, F. (2009). The complete idiot's guide to medical tourism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha Books.
Weiermair, K., & Mathies, C. (2004). The tourism and leisure industry: Shaping the
future. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press.
Medical tourism, where patients travel overseas for operations, has grown rapidly in the past decade, especially for cosmetic surgery. High costs and long waiting lists at home, new technology and skills in destination countries alongside reduced transport costs and Internet marketing have all played a role. Several Asian countries are dominant, but most countries have sought to enter the market.
Keywords: Health; Medicine; Tourism; Asia; Economics
Before the days of ancient Rome, some individuals have travelled to seek medical treatment from foreign countries (Marsek & Shape, 2009; Weiermair & Mathies, 2004); nevertheless, this phenomenon has gain major popularity among the first world countries in the past 10 years (Edelheit, 2009). Popularly known as a "medical tourism" this individuals engaging such travelled are mostly seeking cosmetic enhancements, dental treatments, hip replacements or heard surgery etc. Medical tourism is defined as "the act of travelling abroad to obtain medical care" (Keckley, 2008, p. 4). The medical tourism market is driven by cost saving, similar or better quality care, also short waiting time, in other words quicker access to the care (Keckley, 2008).
Until recently medical care has generally been from less develop nations to more developed countries (Horowiz, Rosenweig, & Jones, 2007). In context to the travellers which are seeking great experience and technology available with no regard of the cost, the travellers of medical tourism on the other hand are mainly dominated by individuals motivated to get a quality health care at price more affordable to them (Cormany D, & Baloglu S, 2011).
With these growing trend of medical tourism has as increased globally as an industry, and it's been marketed as niche product that companies both medical services and tourism packages (Connell, 2006). In addition to the North America and Western European nations, this patterns has shifted to other developing countries (Kangas, 2007; Lautier, 2008), remarkably to the united Arab Emirates, Thailand, Singapore, India and Tunisia etc., nation with highly sophisticated infrastructures and lower cost in healthcare (Behrmann J., & Smith E., 2010).
The main region for the medical tourism is Asia, Thailand is long know for the tourism and medical tourism as early as the 1970s due to the specialised sex change operations, and after came cosmetic surgery. In order to compete in this new highly competitive marker Thailand has duplicated the western medical protocols and implemented with the low cost and promoted with the sound strategy (Connell, 2006).
According to Connell, (2006) Success rates are comparable even in for the procedures that can have high infection rates, such as heart operations, bone narrow transplants and kidney transplants with the one of the world's top hospitals. For example India's annual Medical Tourism Expo predicts that by 2012 it will earn up to $2 billion.
Medical tourism is more likely to increase than decline; however the cost gab between first world countries and third world countries will properly stay the same. As the demand for these trends keeps growing is more likely that cosmetic surgery, also heart surgery as a key element in medical tourism. Moreover, since the medical tourism in third world countries keep improving and demand will grow substantially. There is a chance that western insurance companies will encourage their patients to go overseas for the medical treatment because they are cheaper (Connell, 2006).
Ethical issues are becoming significant in terms of equity and quality of the health care is first class and can be afforded only by first class people, "the more privilege" ones. Although increased trend of medical tourism has helped many people who simply could not afford or wait for the treatment in the first world countries. Nevertheless, medical tourism industry has been promoting themselves as ethically responsible for the host communities, and yet it seems to be catering only foreign patients, and without regard to the local citizens.
Finally, although medical tourism boost local communities economy by creating jobs, etc. and also helps people who would not simply be able to afford it in their country. This raises the question of whose responsibility it is to look after local communities' interest; patients, local government, private clinics? What form of regulation is needed and is this possible?
References
Behrmann J., & Smith E., 2010. Top 7 Issues in Medical Tourism: Challenges, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions for Research and Policy Development. Global Journal of Health Science Vol. 2, No. 2; October 2010
Connell, 2006. Medical tourism: Sea, sun, sand and surgery. Tourism Management 27 (2006) 1093-1100
Edelheit, J. (2009). The effects of the world economic recession on medical tourism.
Medical Tourism Magazine, 9, 22e24.
Marsek, P., & Sharpe, F. (2009). The complete idiot's guide to medical tourism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha Books.
Weiermair, K., & Mathies, C. (2004). The tourism and leisure industry: Shaping the
future. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press.