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Global Partnership of Asian Colleges University of Economics and Business, VNU

VIETNAM MATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

-------------------------------------------

Topic: Medical tourism a new approach to treatment

benefits and disadvantages, a new role for nurses

the trend of Medical Tourism in Asia

Supervisor: Dr. Ph m Th Li,

M!A Dep".

#roup: V Th $o% &Le%'er(

N)u* Th H )

) Th Ph ) Th o

D ) Th Th+*

-%ss: H/001 E 2T N 3

#r%'u%"e

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Medical tourism _ TTXVN (H ng, Th o, Thy, Xoan -leader)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This study would not have been completed without the cooperation of Dr. Pham Thi Lien,

a teacher of Master of Business Administration Department, niversity of !conomics and

Business, "ietnam #ational niversity, $anoi. %esearchers would li&e to show 'ratitude toDr. Lien for her cooperation and helps to accomplish this study. (he 'ave us useful and

practical advice and worthy remar&s. Moreover, this is the first time researchers have dealt

with an economic research topic and especially for the purpose of discussin' them with

e)cellent students from some Asian countries in *lobal Partnership of Asian +olle'es

therefore, it appeared to be a difficult tas& to some aspects but eventually, with her helps and

researchers- efforts, it was accomplished successfully to some e)tent. ithout her help and

willin'ness to participate, this study would never have happened.

ABSTRACT

/n the period of chan'es and development of the world economy, Medical is more and more

concerned to provide best 0ualified treatments for human. Medical also ma&es a hu'e

contribution to the world livin' standard in terms of economic factor. Therefore, many

services emer'e with medical basis. /n the flow of development, Medical tourism emer'ed

and now is developin' speedily in all over the world for the two main purposes above. /t

now is bein' e)ploited as a ma1or factor of economic 'rowth by many countries, especially

/ndia, Thailand, (in'apore, some countries in !urope li&e The (, in America li&e the (,

Me)ico, +anada, etc. /n Asian countries, especially, there is fast development of Medical

tourisms than&s to the benefits and economic contributions it brin's althou'h there still e)ist

some disadvanta'es. This paper e)plored the main benefits as well as disadvanta'es of

Medical tourism, new role2s3 of nurses, its contribution to the world economy, especially

concernin' with four case studies of /ndia, Thailand, (in'apore and "ietnam the countries

have been 'ainin' reputation for Medical tourism and have potentials for development of

Medical tourism.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

ACKNOWLEGDMENT.................................................................................................2

ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................2

Table of content.................................................................................................................4

List of tables, chart and fi'ures ........................................................................................5

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

I. Bac& 'round of the research............................................................................6

II. Aim and ob1ectives, and scope of the research................................................6

III. %esearch 0uestions..........................................................................................6

IV. (tructure of the research..................................................................................7

V. Data collection instruments and procedures....................................................7

VI. Data analysis procedures.................................................................................7

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

I. Definition of medical tourism...........................................................................8II. $istory..............................................................................................................8

III. %elated researches............................................................................................9

1. Benefits of Medical tourism.......................................................................9

2. Disadvanta'es of Medical tourism...........................................................:;

3. %ole2s3 of nurses.......................................................................................:5

4. +ontribution to the world *DP................................................................:7

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: CASE STUDIES

+urrent situation of Medical tourism

I. Trend in the world.........................................................................................:i'ure ;.:= +omparisons in term of costs amon' countries between ( and /ndia, Thailand,

(in'apore

>i'ure ;.;= +omparisons in term of costs amon' countries

G)a*+%

*raph := /nternational tourist arrivals, traditional and emer'in' mar&ets ;??8

*raph ;= Mappin' the 'rowth path of /ndia Medical tourism

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

I. Ba- ')(! / 0+$ )$%$a)+

#owadays, medical tourism is becomin' more and more popular worldwide. /t has been

promoted by most of the nations owin' to the fact that it brin's them many benefits. >or individuals,

it is the availability of media that offers people more choices of destinations so that they canma)imi@e their benefits and minimi@e their cost. Therefore, medical tourism is not only a useful but

also an economic way for people to en1oy their vacation and receive health treatment at the same

time. >or businesses and 'overnment, medical travel is seen as a 'reen industry to increase the

revenues or boost *DP.

Amon' the mar&ets, Asian countries 2includin' "ietnam3 are considered to be the most potential for

developin' medical tourism since these countries have beautiful si'htseein' and 'ood 0uality

service with lower price. Than&s to the low labor cost, customers can save 6? or up to 9? percent as

they under'o a medical treatment in Asian countries in comparison with that of nited (tates or a

!uropean country. $ence, there are hordes of tourists come for medical tourism in Asian countries

every year. /t is the revenues from this type of industry that help these countries prove their livin'

standard remar&ably.

II. A& a! "$0&$% / 0+$ )$%$a)+, %*$ / 0+$ )$%$a)+

>or all of the reasons above, the 'roup would li&e to 'ive indept information about medical tourism

in order to provide people some useful information of this topic. At the same time, the research aims

to raise peopleCs awareness about the contributions of medical tourism to the 'rowth of economy as

well as the trend for developin' this industry in the future. $owever, due to the limitation of the

paper, the researchers only cover several aspects of medical travel such as its definition, advanta'es,

disadvanta'es, and new roles for nurses as well as its development in some &ey Asian countries.

III. R$%$a)+ ($%0&%

Accordin'ly, the research focuses on answerin' the 0uestions=

1. What are the benefits as well as the disadvantages that Medical can bring? Do the nurses

have the new role(s)? What can Medical tourism contribute to the world economy?

2. What are the real cases of some key sian countries! where Medical tourism is currently

"romoted and develo"ed?

IV. S0)(0()$ / 0+$ )$%$a)+

The research is comprised of five chapters as follows=

+hapter : is the introduction to the thesis. +hapter ; provides readers with the review of previous

studies related to the present research. +hapter 4 presents the methods used in present research and

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the process of data analysis. +hapter 5 is the discussions of the findin's as well as analyses of the

trends as well as contributions of medical tourism to economy of some Asian countries. +hapter 6

summari@es the main points of the study and offers some advices for tourists to have the best option

as they travel abroad for medical treatment. The remains are references and appendices.

V. Da0a ##$0& &%0)($0% a! *)$!()$%/n order to address to the research, a casestudy method was employed. (tudied cases were often the

ones which were e)plored and studied by the previous researchers or even scientists and scholars.

>irstly, the researchers found those studied cases throu'h boo&s and other sources but mostly the

internet. All of the materials only provided the readers with the bac&'round &nowled'e of medical

tourism in some Asian countries such as /ndia, Thailand, (in'apore and so on. After referrin' to the

previous studies, all of the characteristics, the trends as well as the contributions of medical tourism

to the economy of each nation were pointed out.

VI. Da0a aa#5%&% *)$!()$%

The researchers used the data analysis method 'iven by #unan 2:

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

I. D$/&&0& / $!&a# 0()&%

Medical tourism is defined as the practice of travelin' to another country in order to receive medical

attention. /ts forms can be varied from a minor sur'ery to a complicated one such as heart sur'ery,

breast implants, a hip replacement or dental wor&. Due to the differences in terms of location and

procedure, a medical vacation can cost 6?, 4? or even :? of what a person pays at home.

Besides, it is necessary for people to distin'uish between the two terms medical tourism

and medical travel. Accordin' to the $ECs statistics, most of patients who travel abroad

primarily because of medical reasons fall into the cate'ory of medical travel. /n contrast, some

patients also come for medical service since it is incidental to their trip to another country 2medical

treatment is not their primary purpose3. These people belon' to the cate'ory of medical tourism. .

#ormally, they 'o in for elective, cosmetic or minimally invasive procedures such as dermatolo'y,

dental, 'eneral health screenin' and aesthetic procedures.

II. H&%0)5

/t is widely believed that medical tourism is not a new concept. /t has been practiced around the

word for years. $owever, nowadays, more and more people find it advanta'eous to practice and

cheaper to access this &ind of medical treatment.

/n ancient time, there e)isted a stron' lin& between reli'ion and healthcare which dated bac&

for thousands of years. At that time, the *ree&s showed their honor to their *od of medicine

Asclepius by erectin' the Asclepia Temples. Then, this place became one of the wordCs first health

centers to which people often travel to see& for their ailments. As a result, the *ree&s were

considered to be the first to lay a foundation for a comprehensive medical tourism networ&. /n the

followin' years, other therapeutic temples flourished under the *ree& domain with a variety of

services li&e a 'ymnasium, a sna&e farm, a dream temple, and thermal baths.

(ince the :6??s, in /ndia, people be'an ac&nowled'in' about medical tourism with the

popularity of yo'a and Ayurvedic medicine. As early as 6??? years a'o, constant streams of medical

travelers and spiritual students came to /ndia to see& the benefits of these alternativehealin'methods.

/n the :9th and :

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/n the ;:st century, medical tourism is becomin' more and more popular, especially in Asian

countries ascribed to relatively lowcost 1et travel. #owadays, it is said to be a milliondollar

industry which is promoted by the 'overnments and businesses in many parts all over the world.

This is proven by the fact that hordes of Americans 2nearly half a million3 visit Asia, Me)ico, and

(outh America each year to see& hi'h 0uality yet cheap medical treatment, combined with e)oticvacations in the destination country.

*eneral spea&in', health travelused to be restricted either to the wealthy or truly desperate

however, in today-s flattenin' 'lobal economy, the physical, economic, and cultural barriers that

once separated nations from one another are dissolvin'. /nternational traveland more lenient trade

policies ma&e it possible for those with modest means to en1oy the benefitsof worldclass health

careat some of the mostpopularmedical tourism destinationsaround the 'lobe.

!http"##$$$%healthtourism%com#medicaltourism#history#&

III. R$#a0$! )$%$a)+$%

1. B$$/&0% / M$!&a# 0()&%

&. L6 %0:

The cost effectiveness is the number one reason why people choose to 'o offshore for medical

treatment. The savin's ran'e between 4? and 9? of the cost that patients would normally pay in

the (A. >or many procedures, it is more e)pensive for a patient to receivetreatmentat home than

it is to purchase aplane tic&et, boo& a hotel, and pay for all medicale)penses out of poc&et in a

forei'n country. This is especially true in popular medical tourism destinations such as /ndia,

Thailand, and (in'apore.

Due to the low prices of medical procedures and sur'ery abroad, some people worry that

medical tourism mi'ht be fraud or a scam, but it is not true. The main reason for the low prices of

medical treatment abroad is the low cost of labor in the popular medical tourism destinations.

Besides, hi'h competitive prices and ade0uate malpractice insurance also lead to the reduction in the

e)penses for medical treatment.

!http"##$$$%healthtourism%com#medicaltourism#benefits#&

!http"##$$$%articlesnatch%com#Article#'he'op(Benefits)f*edical'ourism#+-.+(&

Low labor cost

Lower labor costs help e)plain why medical tourism procedures are cheaper. $ourly wa'es

in countriesli&e /ndia,Thailand, and Ar'entinaare usually lower than they are in countriesli&e the

nited(tates, !n'land, or Fapan. $owever, this does not mean that these labors here are uns&illful

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http://www.healism.com/Medical_Tourism/Overview/What_is_Medical_Tourism?/http://www.healism.com/Travel/Flights/Overview/http://www.healism.com/medical_tourism/overview/advantages_of_medical_tourism/http://www.healism.com/medical_tourism/overview/what_is_medical_tourism?/http://www.healism.com/medical_tourism/overview/what_is_medical_tourism?/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11113http://www.healism.com/destinations/main/countries/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11109http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=300http://www.healism.com/Travel/Flights/Overview/http://www.healism.com/Travel/Hotels/Overview/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11090http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11118http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=10http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11113http://www.healism.com/destinations/main/countries/http://www.healism.com/destinations/india/history_of_india/http://www.healism.com/destinations/thailand/history_of_thailand/http://www.healism.com/destinations/singapore/history_of_singapore/http://www.healism.com/procedures/overview/procedures/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=30http://www.healism.com/Destinations/India/History_of_India/http://www.healism.com/Destinations/Thailand/History_of_Thailand/http://www.healism.com/Destinations/Argentina/History_of_Argentina/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=30http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11121http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11122http://www.healism.com/Medical_Tourism/Overview/What_is_Medical_Tourism?/http://www.healism.com/Travel/Flights/Overview/http://www.healism.com/medical_tourism/overview/advantages_of_medical_tourism/http://www.healism.com/medical_tourism/overview/what_is_medical_tourism?/http://www.healism.com/medical_tourism/overview/what_is_medical_tourism?/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11113http://www.healism.com/destinations/main/countries/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11109http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=300http://www.healism.com/Travel/Flights/Overview/http://www.healism.com/Travel/Hotels/Overview/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11090http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11118http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=10http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11113http://www.healism.com/destinations/main/countries/http://www.healism.com/destinations/india/history_of_india/http://www.healism.com/destinations/thailand/history_of_thailand/http://www.healism.com/destinations/singapore/history_of_singapore/http://www.healism.com/procedures/overview/procedures/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=30http://www.healism.com/Destinations/India/History_of_India/http://www.healism.com/Destinations/Thailand/History_of_Thailand/http://www.healism.com/Destinations/Argentina/History_of_Argentina/http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=30http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11121http://www.healism.com/index.php?option=com_rafcloud&searchphrase=all&ordering=newest&sid=11122

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and dis0ualified. /n most cases sur'ical procedures are performed by well trained e)perts who are

usin' top notch technolo'y.


!http"##$$$%articlesnatch%com#Article#'he'op(Benefits)f*edical'ourism#+-.+(&

!http"##$$$%healism%com#medical/tourism#overvie$#advantages/of/medical/tourism#& Malpractice insurance

Ma#*)a0&$ (%(a##5 &%70 a% +&'+ a% &0 &% & 0+$ US. This is not to say that the safety and

0uality of medical treatments are inferior. /tCs 1ust that hospitalscan afford to lower theirprices

since they themselves donCt have to pay as much to their insurance companies. This also means that

a patient will not necessarily receivelar'e balloon payments if he or she sues a hospitaland win in

the event of a botched sur'ery.

$i'h competitive price

/t is the competitive price that attracts more and more tourist from !urope, especially from the (A

to 'et medical treatment in Asian countries. The price for a medical procedure in Asia is sometimes

only ;? to 4? percent of that in the nited (tates or nited Gin'dom. This cost differential to'ether

with sophisticated travel industry ensurin' ease and affordability of travel provides the bac&bone of

medical tourism. /n order to illustrate for this ideas, letCs a have loo& at the table which shows the

cost comparison between the ( and some Asian countries below=

>i'ures are estimated, are in .(. dollars or .G. pounds, fi'ures vary due to prices char'ed by

different medical centres and patient profile and do not include travel and accommodation costs

S()'$)5

Pa)0&a# +&* )$*#a$$0

/ndia H5,6??

.(. H:9,???

F(## +&* )$*#a$$0

/ndia H4,???

.(. H4

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T6 !$0a# ")&!'$%

$un'ary H

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B$00$) a! *)/$%%&a# %*$&a#&%0% a! ()%$%= ith lower labor costs, medicaltourism

facilities can often hire more support staff than a comparable facilityin the est can. /t can

be proven by hi'her ratios of nursetopatient and the rela)in' atmosphere that a patient can

en1oy as they under'o a medical treatment. Many of these patients admit that their

e)periences are more li&e hotelstays than typical hospitalvisits

B$00$) a! a!a$! /a&0&$%= #owadays, there is also a 'rowin' phenomenon that many

hospitals are rated J6star- around the 'lobe in such farflun' places as Ban'&o&, (in'apore,

Manila, Gerala and Dubai. They operate in a hi'hly competitive mar&et and are run alon' the

lines of 6star hotels. Many hospitals in (outh !ast Asia, especially in Malaysia, Thailand,

(in'apore, have adopted and invested in the latest medical technolo'y to provide stateof

theart care for patients. >or instance, these hospitals often employ ( or !uropean trained

physicians and care team or use clinical information technolo'ies for treatment. They also

claim to offer the firstrate and modern facilities and a wide ran'e of speciali@ed medical and

dia'nostic services coverin' all medical disciplines, while 'uaranteein' more affordable and

hi'h 0uality care for patients.

!http"##$$$%healism%com#fa0s#fa0s/about/medical/tourism#medical/tourism/fa0s/about/medical/tourism#&

&. M)$ *0&%

F) #a-(aaa"&05 / )$$!5 a0 +$ (0)5

Ebviously, medical tourism sometimes offers patients a chance to access toproceduresthat

are not available in their home countries. /n some cases, these patients have difficulty in dealin'with their health matters since their home countries heavily re'ulate 2or even ban3 certain elective

proceduresor complicated sur'eries. /n contrast, they are able to access these procedures very easily

in another country with the support of medical tourism, even with a lower price. >or e)ample, hip

resurfacin' was only recently approved by the ( >ood and Dru' Administration, despite its

widespread use and success rate at manypopularmedical tourism destinationsaround the world

F) )$*#a&' 0'! )$$!5 a0 +$ (0)5

/t is the flourish and popularity of medical services that 'ive people a lot of options to be

treated with the best 0uality and the lowest price. /n order to attract as many tourists as possible, the

most popular medical destinations actively do everythin' they can to provide patients with options

and ensure optimal care. /n ;??6, for e)ample, lu)ury medical facility, Bumrun'rad /nternational

$ospitalin Thailand, treated 66,???patientsfrom thenited(tatesalone.

!http"##$$$%healism%com#medical/tourism#overvie$#advantages/of/medical/tourism#&

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. T()&%

hile the primary motivation for most of patients is affordable sur'ery, the opportunity to

visit e)otic destinations is also an additional draw for some of them. (everal medical tourists decide

to spend a few days si'htseein' before their procedures whereas the others en1oy the same while

recuperatin'. /t is a fact that most of people have a plan to spend holidays yearly and sometimes

need to under'o medical treatment. Besides, a patient should be aware of the fact that visitin' e)otic

places will speed up the healin' process. Therefore, a wise decision is to combine between dealin'

with health matters and en1oyin' holidays abroad because it helps these people receive less

e)pensive but more effective healthcare as well as have opportunity to travel to 'reat si'htseein' all

over the world.


2. D&%a!a0a'$% / M$!&a# 0()&%

Medical tourism is a personal choice because there are many decisions that must be addressed

before considerin' healthcare services abroad. As mentioned, a tourist can be obtained many

benefits from travelin' abroad for healthcare treatment however, that is not to say that medical

travel does not cause them any troubles or ris&s. /t is important for these people to &eep in mind that

all medical treatments incur some de'ree of ris&, and that there is an unavoidable inherent dan'er

associated with all medical procedure. Most of the ris&s are related to the unfamiliarity with the

local conditions. There are two &inds of dan'ers that tourists often encounter as they 'o for medical

treatment as followin's=

&. R&%- / a#*)a0&$:

I+$)$0 !a'$)=

/t is important to ac&nowled'e that

inherent dan'ers may occur in any medical

treatment,no matter where people receive it.

/t is estimated that nearly :??,??? people die

every year in American hospitals because of

preventable medical errors. (o no matter

where a person decides to receivehis or her

treatment, understand that he or she can face

certain ris&s.

U$8*$0$! !a'$)%:

Durin' the procedure of medical

treatment, patients can encounter several

une)pected dan'ers such as food poisonin',

in1ury, culture shoc&, and countless other

potential Kthreats.

!http"##$$$%healism%com#medical/tourism#overvie$#disadvantages/of/medical/tourism#&

&&. L$'a# $):

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Due to the lac& of available le'al recourse, medical tourists may have difficulty in see&in' for

redress in cases of ne'li'ence, misdia'noses, or incompetence. Ebviously, insurance laws are

various from re'ions to re'ions in terms of types of insurance and types of procedures protected.

Therefore, a patient probably e)periences a preventable, adverse event as a result of receivin' care

overseas and has the limits to the compensation that they can receive. /n such case, hospital staffwould be protected whereas patients suffer from dama'e with no le'al recourse or financial

compensation.

Besides, receivin' medical care abroad may sub1ect medical tourists to unfamiliar le'al

issues. /t is the limited nature of liti'ationin various countries that helps to reduce the cost of care

overseas. As a result, as some problems arise, patients mi'ht not be covered by ade0uate personal

insurance or mi'ht be unable to see& compensation via malpractice lawsuits. $ospitals andor

doctors in some countries may be unable to pay the financial dama'es awarded by a court to a

patient who has sued them, owin' to the hospital andor the doctor not possessin' appropriate

insurance cover andor medical indemnity.

!http"##$$$%businessinasia%com#asia#medical/tourism%html&

&&&. E0+&a# $)

Despite the benefits of lower cost and decreased waitin' periods for medical tourists, ethical

dilemmas associated with this tourism must be ac&nowled'ed. >irst of all, domestic customers may

have difficulty in dealin' with healthcare in their home country. As usual, forei'n customers are

often in priority as they 'o to medical centers. #ormally, doctors pay more attention to them and

offer them the best conditions of treatment. /n some cases, these doctors have become so busy with

forei'ners that domestic patients are 'oin' trouble 'ettin' care. >urthermore, medical tourism is

often critici@ed on 'rounds of fraud, blatant lac& of scientific rationale and patient safety. $owever,

it is often challen'in' to differentiate between acceptable medical innovation and unacceptable

patient e)ploitation when a healthcare center or a hospital pioneers advanced technolo'ies, such as

providin' CunprovenC therapies to patients outside of re'ular clinical trials.


iv. La'(a'$ a! (#0()$ "a))&$)%

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/t is said that lan'ua'e and cultural problems sometimes prevent patients from en1oyin' their

vacation or receivin' healthcare in another country. >irstly, !n'lish is considered to be the

international lan'ua'e for people from different countries to communicate with one another.

Therefore, 'ood !n'lish is e)pected from both hospital staff and tourists. $owever, some tourists

may find it difficult to e)press their opinions because they &now no or little !n'lish and vice versa./t is these lan'ua'e barriers that may cause some re'retful misunderstandin' between doctors and

customers. >or instance, Thais in the tourism sector 'enerally spea& !n'lish well and the service is

e)cellent with forei'n restaurants and a 'enuine attempt to please, however, !n'lish is 0uite poor

outside the tourism sector. +ulture shoc& is also a typical problem that tourists often encounter as

they travel for medical treatment, especially for those who have little e)perience travelin' abroad.

>or e)ample, /ndia, Thailand and (in'apore 'enerally lead the medical tourism hubs but all have

ma1or failin's in terms of lan'ua'e and cultural barriers. /ndians tend to spea& better !n'lish, but

are much less accommodatin' culturally and while the lan'ua'e barrier is lower the cultural barrier

is much hi'her. $ence, as tourists come to such countries, it is advisable for them to brin' an a'ent

boo& or boo& a pac&a'e holiday so that they can limit the interaction with local people and avoid

several troubles.


3. R#$;%< / ()%$%

&. R$a%% /) +a'$% & )#$;%< / ()%$%:

There are several reasons for the chan'es in the roles of nurses when medical tourism is

becomin' more and more popular.

>or lon' recovery, postoperative arran'ement

>or manyprocedures, itCs customary to chec& in with your physician ordentistfrom time to

time as you recuperate. $owever, by receivin' treatment abroad, it becomes prohibitively

e)pensive to consult with whatever doctoror dentist provided you with primary care. This is one

reason why many medical touristsdecide to recuperate while they are still abroad. As a result, many

medical tourism destinationshave e)cellent facilitiesto care for and entertain recoverin'patients.

/tCs not uncommon to find medical tourists rela)in' on the beaches as they recuperate. But for

proceduresre0uirin' lon'er recovery periods, youCll need to ma&e postoperative arran'ements on

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your own. This usually re0uires consultin' a local physician or dentist in your hometown, in

addition to whateverforei'n healthcare provider supervised the ori'inaltreatment.

>or removin' potential and inherent dan'ers

To ta&e advanta'e of this demand, forei'n clinics are increasin'ly vyin' for reco'nition fromthe Foint +ommission /nternational, the leadin' .(.based hospital accreditation body. Applicants

must meet a strin'ent set of criteria, includin' havin' a competently trained medical staff who

understands forei'n lan'ua'es and cultures, an honest admission and price policy, and performance

re0uirements in ;? other specific areas. KThe ris&s for patients in travelin' far distances for care can

be si'nificant says F+/-s president and +!E, Garen $. Timmons. KPatients need assurance that

their physician and healthcare provider have the ri'ht 0ualifications and credentials. Patients must

also understand the le'al redress available to them.

&&. C+a'$% & )#$% / ()%$%.

/t is difficult to precisely define the full 'amut of responsibilities covered by the 'eneral

term, J#ursin'-. A nurse-s duties are many. T)a!&0&a##5, nurses play a role of care'ivers. They

are responsible for the wellbein' of patients entrusted to their care. Their duties therefore, e)tend

from establishin' relationships with beside chores that ensure that the patients are clean and

comfortable durin' their illness and convalesce, to assistin' the physician, &eepin' accurate records,

administerin' medication and helpin' durin' e)aminations and operations. #ormally, every nurse,

on each duty round, is 'iven the care of a set number of patients. A nurse-s duties in this area

include assessin', discussin' and plannin' for each individual patient-s needs, puttin' these plans

into operation, monitorin' their pro'ress, and if necessary chan'in' them. They have also to &eep

detailed notes to ensure continuity, as collea'ues often have to ta&e over when the patient-s own

nurse is off duty. #urses are also re0uired to be present when consultants visit their patient, and to

follow up on the treatment prescribed. They are e)pected to display a calm, perceptive approach

durin' crises that are only to be e)pected in hospitals. Most importantly, the nurse, bein' more in

contact with the patient than any other member of the hospital staff, should be able to create a bond

between the patient and the medical fraternity in order to facilitate recovery.

I $!&a# 0()&%, nurses ta&e more roles in order to meet the demand of the 1ob. hat are

the new roles for nursesN /n addition to the role of providin' care to the clients, nurses in 'rowin'

medical tourism industry period are re0uired to enhance their &nowled'e base and s&ills in business

and mana'ement because medical tourism is essentially a business. Moreover, it is necessary for

nurses to build up a stron' bac&'round in transcultural nursin' since there are a 'reat number of

forei'n patients comin' to receive care. Apart from learnin' their professional s&ills such as

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in1ectin' or carin' for people who are ill or in1ured, nurses now have to broaden their mind in some

other fields which have been mentioned 2business, culture, etc.3 and bein' clients- coordinator. /n

other words, they are e)pected to 'uide clients to the appropriate medical tourism-s destinations, be

aware of potential medicalethicalle'al issues previously cited and warn clients of these ris&s.

!http"##$$$%aarogya%com#healthresources#careeropportunities#1(-1roleofnurse%html&

!http"##$$$%medscape%com#vie$article#23.32(/(&

4. C0)&"(0& 0 0+$ 6)#! GDP

Accordin' to the orld Travel and Tourism +ouncil 2TT+3, tourism is a &ey driver of

;:st century-s economic activity and is the lar'est creator of 1obs, wealth and investment around the

world. As illustration, the ( alone contributes (H 4.6 trillion to the world-s *DP and (H :.;

trillion to its *DP. /t is also the world-s lar'est e)port earner with forei'n currency receipts from

international tourism outstrippin' e)ports of petroleum products, motor vehicles,

telecommunications e0uipment, te)tiles or any other product or service.

/n ;??8, international tourist arrivals rose by 7 per cent reachin' a new record fi'ure of 9

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*lobally, world tourism flow shows a si'nificant shift from traditional source mar&ets

2estern !urope, (A, +anada, Fapan3 to alternative ones 2+entral and !astern !urope, +hina,

%epublic of Gorea, (in'apore, Middle !ast, Me)ico, the %ussian >ederation, /ndia etc.3 Tourism

'rowth has been driven by emer'in' destinations in Asia, Pacific, Africa and the Middle !ast, while

the more Jmature- re'ions of !urope and the Americas show a more moderate pace.

Graph " 6nternational tourist arrivals, traditional and emerging mar4ets 5332

!http"##$$$%asianhhm%com#healthcare/management#health/tourism%htm&

7ospitality sector" 'he increasing trend of health tourism

The increasin' trends of tourism coupled with health treatments abroad have led to a 'rowth

in the health tourism phenomenon. $ealth tourism 2also called medical tourism, medical travel or

'lobal healthcare3 is a term initially coined by travel a'encies and the mass media to describe the

rapidly 'rowin' practice of travellin' across international borders to obtain healthcare. (uchservices typically include elective procedures as well as more specialised sur'eries such as 1oint

replacement 2&nee hip3, cardiac, dental and cosmetic sur'eries. Travel and leisure aspects typically

associated with tourism are now bein' offered in the form of allinclusive health tourism pac&a'es.

&&. O0+$) 0a)$! %$0)% = %*&//%: /!, )$)$a0&, "(!&', $0.

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CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: CASE STUDIES

C())$0 %&0(a0& / M$!&a# 0()&%

I. T)$! & 0+$ 6)#!

Than&s to /nternet technolo'y, more affordable international travel, and ma1or advances in

medical science, medical tourism is becomin' less of a novelty and more of a 'lobal trend. >or

decades, Americans have &nown they could obtain cheaper health care abroad, and have slipped off

to Me)ico for small sur'eries or +anada for prescription dru's. But more and more people now

reco'ni@e forei'n hospitals can deliver not only cheap but also hi'h0uality health care, and are

considerin' medical tourism even for serious health problems.

ith spendin' on health care in America toppin' H; trillion, baby boomers a'in' and the

pool of uninsured risin' above 54 million, insurers, smaller employers and individual Americans

without insurance are loo&in' at overseas care as an alternative for costly treatments, even for

comple) procedures li&e heart sur'ery and procedures e)cluded from covera'e in the nited (tates.

Already, more than :6?,??? people travel abroad each year for health care.

9igure "people travel abroad each year for health care6%%:oint venture"

(everal insurers have proven to be medical tourism pioneers. nited *roup Pro'rams, a >lorida

insurance company, now offers plans that reimburse types of overseas care, and wor&s with Apollo,

a leadin' hospital in +hennai, /ndia. $ealth #et, another insurer, now offers subscribers in (outhern

+alifornia some covera'e at medical facilities across the border in Me)ico.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Medical tourism _ TTXVN (Th o, Thy, Xoan -leader)19
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/n (outh +alorina, Blue+ross Blue(hield, one of the top brand names, recently si'ned an

a'reement with Bumrun'rad, Thailand. Ether ma1or American health insurers are said to be

considerin' coverin' some types of offshore medical procedures. The Foint +ommission

/nternational, an or'ani@ation that inspects hospitals, now analy@es forei'n medical centers to see if

they meet hi'h American standards.

!ntrepreneurs are startin' travel companies to brin' Americans to forei'n hospitals O trips

that sometimes combine treatment with a short vacation or recovery period, li&e an African safari or

a recovery wee&end at a Thai beach. Many of these companies now speciali@e 1ust in one country or

re'ion.

/n ( $ealth, for e)ample, which is based in #orth +arolina, or'ani@es trips to /ndian

hospitals Planet $ospital, based in #ew or&, focuses on trips to Me)ico, +entral America and

(in'apore. Bumrun'rad has become internationally famous for medical tourism and now treats more

than 5??,??? forei'n patients each year.

C(0)&$% 0+a0 a0&$#5 *)0$ $!&a# 0()&%include +uba, +osta %ica, $un'ary, /ndia,

/srael, Fordan, Lithuania, Malaysia and Thailand. Bel'ium, Poland and (in'apore are now

enterin' the field. (outh Africa speciali@es in medical safarisvisit the country for a safari, with a

stopover for plastic sur'ery, a nose 1ob and a chance to see lions and elephants.

6%5% Changes in the ob;ectives of medical tourism

The ob1ectives of medical tourism are also chan'in'= movin' far beyond the K'ettin' some

wor& done type.

Trend in the world medical tourism also includes the emer'ency of various countries as

medical specialists, for e)amples= +ostal %ica for dentistry, Malaysia for cardiac bypass

sur'ery, etc.

6%(% Current *edical 'ourism

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procedures, such as minimally invasiveoffpump heart sur'ery, correction of con'enital cardiac

abnormalities in children, thoracic or'an transplantation, and implantation of mechanical cardiac

devices 2Appleby Q (chmidt, ;??7 Lancaster, ;??53. ThailandCs international hospitals have a

reputation for havin' modern, hi'htech e0uipment, e)cellent 0uality medical care, and superior

hospitality services 2$orowit@ et al., ;??8 $orowit@ Q %osenswei', ;??83. /ndia has a reputation

for hi'h 0uality care in a number of ma1or hospitals 2+onnell, ;??7 $orowit@ Q %osenswei'3 and/srael has emer'ed as a popular, medical tourism destination due its reputation for the hi'h standards

in the care that it offers 2!delheit, ;??9 >ried Q $arris, ;??83. /srael is well situated 'eo'raphically

with relatively easy fli'ht access from !urope, Africa, and Asia. Many of /sraelCs facilities maintain

re'ular contacts with ma1or medical and scientific research centers abroad and /srael is fre0uently

the host venue for international conferences focusin' on a variety of medical topics 2*radstein,

;??93.

(http"##trendsupdates%com#thehealthcaretraveller)

!http"##$$$%imoa4%com#&

II. M$!&a# 0()&% & A%&a

M$!&a# 0()&% &% %a&! 0 "$ 0+$ %$! %0 **(#a) &!(%0)5 6a!a5%. T+$ &)$a%$

& 0+$ ("$) / $!&a# 0()&%0% $a+ 5$a) !$0$% 0+a0 0+$ $!&a# 0()&% &!(%0)5 6#

% "$ 0+$ ". I a)!a$ 6&0+ 0+a0 / 0+$ 6)#!, M$!&a# 0()&% & A%&a &%

"&'. *rowth pace= KMedical tourism in Asia a H6?? million industry 'rowin' by ;? per cent to

4? per cent a year, e)pected to 'row to H5.5 billion by ;?:;, said Mr. Genneth Mays, mar&etin'

director of Bumrum'rad $ospital, /ndia. The number of medical tourist visits is swellin' by ;? to 4?

per cent a year. KBut a recent study estimated potential revenues to be much hi'her. Medical

tourism is 'rowin' rapidly, far more than the 5 to 7 per cent 'rowth in 'eneral travel boo&in's

predicted for ;??7

The results and e)pectations above stem from the commonest medical treatment such as 1oint

replacements, facial and dental sur'eries, heart care and cancer care, barrenness and health chec&up

in (in'apore, 'ender reassi'nment sur'ery and health chec&up in Thailand, plastic sur'ery andhealth chec&up in Malaysia, (ur'ery and disease mana'ement in /ndia, and plastic sur'ery in Gorea.

/n Asia, the main characteristics of Medical tourism that attract an enormous number of

patients from all over the world are also= low cost supported by advanced technolo'ies, medicine

and sur'ery, short waitin' time, treatment procedures- availability providin' more options, wealth

of attractions for holiday and vacation. These features of Medical Tourism has already been clarified------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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in the previous part and also will be specified in details of the most typical and fruitful medical

tourism systems in some of Asian countries.

!http"##$$$%smarttravelasia%com#*edical'ourism%htmlhttp"##businessinasia#asia#medical/tourism%html

http"##$$$%asianhhm%com#healthcare/management#health/tourism%htm3

The evidence of medical tourism-s flourish in Asia can be drawn from an international

comparison in terms of price of the most typical medical procedures between the ( and most well

&nown countries for Medical tourism in Asia.

I0$)a0&a# P)&$ C*a)&%%: S$#$0$! S()'$)&$%

P)$!()$ US C%0 I!&a T+aa! S&'a*)$

H$a)0 B5*a%% H:4?,??? H:?,??? H::,??? H:9,6??

H$a)0 Va#$ R$*#a$$0 H:7?,??? H

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9igure 5%" Comparisons in term of costs among countries bet$een U= and 6ndia, 'hailand, =ingapore

!http"##$$$%csmngt%com#medical5%html&

The overall comparison can be presented as follow=

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9igure 5%5" Comparisons in term of costs among countries

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dcrpath?77N*AG#Article#data#5

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McGinsey also noted in its report that 56 of #orth American medical tourists travel to Asia for

care, compared to ;7 to Latin America, ;8 travelin' within #orth America and ; 'oin' to the

Middle !ast. Medical tourism and medical travelin' are proliferatin' around the 'lobe.

The trend of medical tourists floodin' to Asia has proved a hu'e contribution to the world

economy in 'eneral and Asia economy in particular. Asia-s medical tourism industry is considered

as a bur'eonin' industry. /n ;??7, its 'rowth increased by 7 in comparison with ;??6 and

e)pected to be worth at least (H5 billion by ;?:; for the reason that The industry in Malaysia,

Thailand, (in'apore and /ndia, currently worth around half a billion dollars a year in Asia, is

pro1ected to 'enerate more than (H5.5 billion by ;?:;. This is provin' a windfall for the travel and

hospitality sector a hi'hly attractive niche for travel a'encies and the hospitality sector.

%esearches on this rapidly'rowin' business shows a medical tourist spends avera'e (H47; a day,

compared with the avera'e traveler-s spend of (H:55.

/ndia-s medical tourism business is 'rowin' at 4? per cent per year and is forecast to 'enerate at

least (H;.; billion a year by ;?:;. (in'apore is tar'etin' to attract one million forei'n patients

annually and push the *DP contribution from this sector above (H:.7 billion, while Malaysia

e)pects medical tourism receipts to be in the re'ion of (H6

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KMedical Tourism /ndia here the entire world meets for the best in $ealth +are, /ndia is

considered the leadin' country promotin' medical tourism and now it is movin' into a new

area of medical outsourcin', where subcontractors provide services to the overburdened

medical care systems in western countries. Loo&in' at the 'raphs, it-s reco'ni@ed that the

'reatest impetus for the 'rowth of medical tourism in /ndia is the difference in the cost, the

increasin' worldclass medical facilities available and short waitin' period in here. The typicalpatients visitin' /ndia on medical tourism are those who lon' for 0uic& and effective cure of

the diseases almost from !urope, Middle!ast and +anada and all over the world.

!http"##$$$%smarttravelasia%com#*edical'ourism%htm&

Cost"

/n terms of cost, hi'h health care costs in developed countries, has patients loo&in' overseas for

medical treatment. Ta&in' advanta'e of this, /ndia is capitali@in' on its low costs and hi'hly trained

doctors to appeal to these medical tourists. Medical treatment in /ndia is often only :6 of the cost

in the est. The reasons can be cheaper airfare and travelin' cost. Add to this the cheap airfare and

travelin' cost which means that people in need have the options to combine their medical

re0uirements with tourism at practically no e)tra e)pense. !ven considerin' the cost of air travel

and lu)ury hotel accommodation 2if re0uired3, the cost savin's comes out to be 5?9? of what is in

the (A, for e)ample. A simple rhinoplasty costs ;.75 La&h in (, but will only cost around 6?,???

%s in /ndia. Li&ewise a face lift costs 6.;9 La&h in (A but costs only :.6 La&h rupees in /ndia. /f

such is the difference then who is not tempted to avail the dual benefit of cure for sure and e)plore

for sure.

!$$$%cbc%ca#ne$s#bac4ground#healthtourism%html&

*ain fields of treatment"

Alon' with low cost is a wide ran'e of medical treatment offered. /ndia provides world class

medical facilities with hospitals and speciali@ed multi specialty health centers providin' their

e)pertise in the areas of +osmetic (ur'ery, Dental care, $eart (ur'eries, +oronary Bypass, $eart

+hec& up, "alve replacements, Gnee %eplacements, !ye sur'eries, /ndian traditional treatments li&e

Ayurvedic Therapies and much more, practically coverin' every aspect of medicine combinin'

modern treatments with traditional e)perience.

!http"##$$$%indiahealthvisit%com#healthtourismindia%htm&

uality"%e'ardin' with 0uality, the improved medical facilities in /ndia prove /ndia to be the best

destination for medical tourism /ndia. The best &nown medical doctors and the latest of all medical

and health facilities are available in /ndia ma&in' it the favorite choice amon' the countries

providin' medical tourism. The 0uality of services found in /ndia is often better than found in

nited (tates or nited Gin'dom. /ndia has one of the bi''est private hospitals in the world. Many

of them are affiliated with top world medical institutes li&e $arvard Medical and Fohn $op&ins. A

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number of these hospitals are also accredited by F+/, (A, or /(E. These medical centers have the

infrastructure, e)perience and the setup for 0uality conscious medical tourism patients from the

est, latest technolo'y with estern standard. The country is not only improvin' as a tourist

destination but also a medical tourism destination where various medical treatments are performed

by 0ualified professionals usin' the latest technolo'y at par with western standards at only a fraction

of the price. K$i'h 0ualified team of doctors a mi'hty influence in medicine across the world.Today /ndian doctors have become a mi'hty influence in medicine across the world from #orth

America and *reat Britain to !ast Africa, Malaysia, and (in'apore.

Thus, it is said that the 'rowth of medical tourism in /ndian sector has now alarmed the .(. based

hospitals because of the rapid 'rowth of patients comin' to /ndia to accomplish medical treatments

by bein' attracted to lower costs and apt services.

'ourism"

/n addition to low cost, hi'h 0uality, one of the factors that ma&e /ndia the most attractive place of

medical tourism is its tourism attractions. /ndia is always a point of attraction due to its herita'e and

culture and one of the oldest &nown civili@ations to the world and draws a fair number of tourists

from around the world. Medical Tourism in /ndia is one of the best options available to people

across the 'lobe. Millions come every year to 'et treated and then en1oy their recuperative holidays

across /ndia. People from different wal&s of life cut across the entire span of the 'lobe come to /ndia

to have their treatments done with peace of mind. /n a recent publication /ndia has been voted as one

of the Top Destination from around the world followed by Thailand and /taly. /ndia drawn to the

countryCs aweinspirin' travel scene mar&ed by its Temples, the breathta&in' $imalayas and its rich

culture.

!http"##$$$%indiahealthvisit%com#healthtourismindia%htm&

Current status of *edical tourism promotion and trend"

>or the popularity of medical tourism, the 'overnment has setup Ban'alore $ealth +ity and

established MT Department with collaborated efforts of >ederation of /ndian +hambers of

+ommerce and (ector, from the base of promotin' private enterprise involvement in the sector since

:

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will brin' more and more health tourists. /ts leadership in the industry of medical tourism has led its

estimate of 5? percent 'rowth turn into reality this year. /ndia-s medical tourism business is 'rowin'

at 4? per cent per year and is forecast to 'enerate at least (H;.; billion a year by ;?:; by si)

times in comparison with (H 4:? million in ;??7 2statistics from *overnment and private sector

studies in /ndia3. /ndiaCs #ational $ealth Policy declares that treatment of forei'n patients is le'ally

an e)port and deemed eli'ible for all fiscal incentives e)tended to e)port earnin's. $ence,hospitals in /ndia have a very bri'ht future. /ndia is the lar'est democracy in the world, is one of the

fastest 'rowin'

>or the advanta'es of Medical tourism discussed above, /ndia, as the lar'est democracy in the

world is re'arded as the &ey to healthier life.

!http"##$$$%indiahealthvisit%com#healthtourismindia%html&

2. Ca%$ %0(!5 2: M$!&a# 0()&% & T+aa!

As ran&ed by Times Ma'a@ine in the G, Thai land is KThe world-s cheapest medical Q health

mar&et and has been the 'oal for Americans. hile, so far, /ndia has attracted patients from

!urope, the Middle !ast and +anada and initially attracted people who had left that country for the

est Thailand treated western e)patriates across (outheast Asia. Many of them wor&ed for western

companies and had the advanta'e of fle)ible, worldwide medical insurance plans 'eared specifically

at the e)patriate and overseas corporate mar&ets. The tourism sector has lon' been Thailand-s ma1or

economic development focus. (ince the medical standards are considerably hi'h in Thailand, it

became &nown for its 'ender reassi'nment sur'eries since the 8?s. /n recent years, the 'overnment-s

active promotion of mar&etin' strate'ies related to inte'rated tourism and medical plannin' has

successfully facilitated Thailand-s competitive ed'e in the world travel mar&et.!http"##$$$%smarttravelasia%com#*edical'ourism%html&

!http"##$$$%medicaltourismco%com#thailandhospitals#medicaltourism'hailand%php&

!http"##$$$%tier%org%t$#eng533.#eng/analysis#9=533D31%asp&

Cost"

The hospitals in Thailand deliver a Mercedes product at a Toyota price. That fact builds up a 'ood

reputation for Thailand in terms of cost. >or e)ample, Bladder sur'ery consumin' (H;6,??? in the

(A costs only around (H4,??? at Bumrun'rad, the most famous hospital in Thailand. *ain fields of treatment"

As reco'ni@ed from over the world, The Main fields that Thailand is famous for are often 'ender

reassi'nment sur'eries 28?s3, popular Thai massa'e.

uality"

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Bimurun'ard $ospital became the first F+/ certified hospital in Asia in ;??; listed as top :? world

class tourist spot in #ewswee&. Bumrun'rad is probably the bestmar&eted hospital in the world.

Their fame is well deserved, but their mar&etin' staff and mana'ement have put a tremendous effort

in bein' KThe medical tourist hospital that potential patients in the estern world have heard of,

specifically throu'h news reports on AB+ and +B( as well as multiple appearances in #ewswee&.Moreover, there is construction of travel medical centers in Ban'&o&, Phu&et /sland, and +hian'

Mai promotion of Medical "/P +ard for lifetime services, and Ban'&o& $ospital with translators

for ;< lan'ua'es. /t-s certainly very difficult to compare the level of s&ill in physicians and nurses

for two worldclass hospitals li&e Bumrun'rad and BM+. They boast similar proportions of

forei'ntrained doctors, especially those trained in the ( and !. #ursin' staff are professional

and abundant in both and interpreters are available in a lar'e number of lan'ua'es. BM+ 'oes a

step beyond this by hirin' a physician and nurse from their ma1or patient nationalities 2ie a (audi

doctor and nurse for (audi patients3 and havin' si'nificant staff and facilities specially devoted to

Fapanese and Middle!astern patients, who represent a lar'e proportion of their patient base and are

'enerally very appreciative of services in their native lan'ua'e. En the contrary, Bumrun'rad

/nternational says it is a onestop medical centre where patients have access to over

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when visitin' the country for medical treatment, ran'in' from vibrant ni'htspots, hu'e shoppin'

malls, and sandy beaches to Buddhist temples, national par&s and much more.

Apart from all this, medical tourists can also avail the opportunity to indul'e in the popular Thai

massa'e, which is sure to re1uvenate your senses. /n addition, the Thai shoppin' e)perience is

unmatched, providin' visitors with e)cellent souvenirs to ta&e bac& home, or one of the many

lu)ury brands available here.

Current status of *' promotion"

Thailand setup 6ear #ational Development Plan Promotion in ;??5, established /nte'ration of

tourism stren'th and promotion of medical service sector internationali@ation. (o far, 6 hospitals

have received F+/ Accreditations. #ow, Bumrun'rad /nternational is focused on the intentional

medical traveller, not the accidental traveller who mi'ht wal& in with a muscle sprain, says the

affable Mays, addin' that this is usually a doityourself &ind of person not covered by social

insurance and probably with some connection to Asia.

Li&e other top Asian hospitals, Bumrun'rad wor&s with the travel and tourism industry to promote

medical tourism and the hospital has a partnership with Diethelm Travel, Thailand-s lar'est inbound

tour operator, which has a travel assistance office in the hospital. #ew Kmedical tourism pac&a'es

are bein' developed and sold by travel a'ents, and the hospital also has a &ios& inside Ban'&o&-s

international airport. This partnership has produced very limited results thou'h as leisure travellers

are not necessarily medicare see&ers thou'h it is attractive to combine a lowcost annual company

chec&up with a few rounds of 'olf. All Bumrun'rad-s doctors are Thai, but more than half have

international trainin' or overseas board certification 2includin' ;?? with ( Board certification3.

Accordin' to news covera'e of Times Ma'a@ine 2.G3 Thailand was reputed as JThe world-s

cheapest medical Q health mar&et.- The 6year #ational Development Plan implemented inte'rated

tourism stren'ths in promotin' medical sector internationali@ation. Thailand is e)pected to become

the J$ealth Tourism $ub of Asia, ellness +apital of Asia, and Thai $erbs for $ealth.- The

development scope of this plan covers= medical care services, health services, and herbal products./n the early sta'e of its implementation, the tar'et development areas include= Ban'&o&, +hian'

Mai, Phu&et /sland, and (uMei /sland. Also, ten other provinces will also be developed. Ether than

Ministry of Public $ealth-s Dominance in the implementations, respective 'overnment departments

will also en'a'e in overall plannin' mar&etin', monitorin' services, and price standardi@ation,

certification, re'ulation, biotechnolo'y related %QD, etc.

Contribution to the economy"

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There were :.5 million medical tourists in Thailand in ;??7 and the production value amounted to

#TH;?.8 billion e0uivalent to (H74? million:.5 million people. /n ;??8, the fi'ure increased to :.65

million with a production value of #TH;5.6 billion :.5 million e0uivalent to (H 85? million :.65

million people. Medical tourists are e)pected to reach ; million people by ;?:?.

3. Ca%$ %0(!5 3: M$!&a# 0()&% & S&'a*)$

(in'apore is a state deservin' of its reputation for cleanliness, order and its ultrahi'h standard of

private medical care. hile it is by no means as cheap as say, /ndia or Thailand, medical staffs here

invariably spea& a hi'h standard of !n'lish and the healthcare infrastructure is easily comparable

with that of western countries.

%ecent years, when Medical Tourism emer'es and proliferates dramatically and speedily, (in'apore

is reco'ni@ed as a Ma1or Player in the Asian medical tourism mar&et. This is hardly surprisin',

'iven the city state-s reputation for sophisticated facilities and advanced technolo'y, not to mention

safety and efficiency. /n ;??4, (in'apore created S&'a*)$ M$!&&$

2www.sin'aporemedicine.com3, a 'overnmentindustry partnership to develop (in'apore as an

international medical hub, not only for medical travellers but also research, conventions and

education. hile most international patients are either /ndonesians or e)patriates based in /ndonesia,

a Ksi'nificant number also come from Malaysia, Myanmar, Pa&istan and Ban'ladesh, etc.

!http"##$$$%smarttravelasia%com#*edical'ourism%htm&

Cost"

+ritics say costs are 4? to 6? percent hi'her than those in Thailand, but even so they remain

appreciably lower than in the ( and the G

*ain fields of treatment"Due to scarce medical resources in nei'hborin' countries, (in'apore became the upper class-s

desi'nation for health chec&ups. /ts lowcost health chec&ups and antia'in' beauty therapies have

attracted a lar'e number of tourists from the nei'hborin' countries. Dr ap says people visit

(in'apore for healthcare for many &inds of medical treatment, from Ktouristy addons to leisure or

business trips 2for e)ample, health screenin' or medical spas3, to specific procedures 2such as &nee

or hip replacement or cancer treatment3, to emer'ency evacuations after natural or manmade

disasters. The fields most popular with the 'roup-s international patients are cardiolo'y, urolo'y,

'astroenterolo'y, dermatolo'y, orthopaedic sur'ery and neurosur'ery. Many patients also come to

see& second opinions on treatments or on dia'noses made by their doctors bac& home.

2http"##$$$%medicalsingapore%com#singaporetravel%html&

uality"

Accordin' to (in'apore Medicine director Dr Fason ap, (in'apore received 485,??? healthcare

visitors in ;??6 and healthcare services ran'ed from the very hi'htech 2li&e transplants3 to the

standard 2hip replacements3 to the Kmedical frin'e 2includin' medical spas3. (in'apore has a

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0uarter of all F+/accredited facilities in Asia. (in'apore ran&ed #o. : in Asia 2#o. 7 in the world3

for its comprehensive health care services, accordin' to the >irst *lobal $ealth +are (ervice

Assessment conducted by the $E in ;??; which surpassed the ran&in' of Fapan 2#o. :? in the

world3 and the .(.A. 2#o. 48 in the world3. Accordin' to a survey by The Political !conomic %is&

+onsultancy in ;??4, the medical Q health system of (in'apore ran&ed #o. 4 in the world only after

the .(.A. and Australia. Thus, (in'apore has hi'h 0uality infrastructure= international medical hubfor medical travelers, research, convention and education, ran& top :6 medical care servicin'

industries in Asia 2includin' Australia3 than&s to=

sophisticated facilities and advanced technolo'y

upper class-s desi'nation for health chec&ups

a 0uarter of all F+/accredited facilities in Asia, with ::F+/ accreditations

'ourism"

The (in'apore Tourism Board helps healthcare providers and travel a'ents providecomprehensive and economical medical pac&a'es for forei'npatients. Besides pic&up facilities

from the airport, appointments with the concerned doctors, hospitalstays, these medicalpac&a'es

include recuperativefacilitiesat a holiday resort, with si'htseein' and shoppin' arran'ements later.

Arab (treet or Gampon' *lam area is a very interestin' area of (in'apore. /t is also named as the

Muslim center of (in'apore. This area has beautiful old shop houses that line the streets. The

hi'hli'ht of the area is the 'rand (ultan Mos0ue, a fantastic buildin' with its impressive 'old dome

and hu'e prayer hall. Arab (treet itself is a riot of colorful te)tiles from all over Asia at very low

prices. (ome of the most visible items for sale are the bas&ets and other cane, straw, rattan and

pandan leaf 'oods spillin' out onto the pavements from baby cradles to floor mats, han'in' chairs

to servin' trays. These shops also stoc& interestin' camel s&in ba's, cloisonnUV bo)es, sewin' &its,

and fishin' tac&le items for both the amateur and the professional an'ler.

This is one of the motivations of health travellers alon' with world class medical infrastrcuture. A

few days can be used in si'ht seein' by the medical tourist.

(in'apore see&s to be the business hub of (outheast Asia and has an e)pansive shoppin' precinct

located in the Erchard %oad district. Many multistorey shoppin' centres are located at Erchard

%oad the area also has many hotels, and itCs the main tourism centre of (in'apore, other than the

Downtown +ore. The local populace also uses Erchard %oad for shoppin' e)tensively.

Current status of *' promotion and trend"

(in'apore en'a'ed in J(in'apore Medicine- promotions in ;??4 in order to reach the 'oal of

becomin' the medical center in Asia. The Americas +onference on /nformation (ystems 2AM+/(3

promoted JMedi(tay- in ;??5. +urrently, :: hospitals have received F+/ certifications. /n order to

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promote wellness services, (in'apore-s 'overnment websites are lin&ed to international medical

related service sites 2Descriptions of visa issuance and accommodation3.

!http"##$$$%tier%org%t$#eng533.#eng/analysis#9=533D31%asp&

Contribution to the economy"

/n ;??5, 4;?,??? patients visited (in'apore. Based on J(in'apore Medicine- underta&en by

(in'apore !conomic Development Board, (in'apore Tourism Board, and /! (in'apore, : million

patients of forei'n nationals are e)pected to see& medical attention in (in'apore annually with a

production value of (H4 billion by ;?:;, ta&in' up to : of the *DP, comparin' with (H :.6

billion 5?? people in ;??6.

4. Ca%$ %0(!5 4: M$!&a# 0()&% & V&$0a ;& !&//$)$0 &$6 !($ 0 0+$&/a0 = "$&' %0a0$ & M$!&a# 0()&% /&$#! / VNor more serious pain, most +hinese doctors

are trained in acupunctureOa techni0ue popular in the westOto relive specific types of pain.

A wealth of attractions across the len'th of the country durin' convalescence= Pretty beach

resorts are on hand for those who need to rest after sur'ery. "ietnam has plenty to offermedical tourists beyond treatment, and visitors can ta&e advanta'e of a wealth of attractions

across the len'th of the country durin' convalescence. Pretty beach resorts are on hand for

those who need to rest after sur'ery.

L&&0a0&%:

Despite developments in recent years, "ietnam has not yet fully reali@ed its potential as a

medical tourist hub and isn-t comparable with nei'hborin' Thailand in terms of its medical

infrastructure. Limitations in mar&etin' strate'ies and in the number of !n'lishspea&in' doctors

available have so far prevented the country in competin' with other Asian medical tourism

destinations. Lan'ua'e "ietnamese can be the reason ma&in' the conversation difficult.

$owever, as these issues improve, "ietnam is seein' a si'nificant rise in medical tourist fi'ures.

Ma& /&$#!%: %$0& %()'$)5, !$0a# %()'$)5.

+osmetic sur'ery is the main field concentrated on by "ietnam-s medical tourism industry with

clinics offerin' the usual selection of procedures, includin' rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty,

abdominoplasty, and liposuction and breast au'mentation. A small number of establishments

also offer orthopedic and obstetric treatment. Dental sur'ery is a bur'eonin' field as well, with

both essential and cosmetic procedures on offer.

The "ietnamese cosmetic sur'ery industry is based predominantly in $o +hi Minh +ity in the

country-s south. Doctors are hi'hly educated and clinics offer a hi'h level of service, 0uality and

cleanliness. All the usual procedures li&e breast au'mentation, tummy tuc&s, face lifts, rhinoplasty

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