HEALTH TOURISM

By : Dr. Rajeev chand kokkiripati ®
Director of North West International University Office
in the Indian subcontinent
CHIEF MENTOR, IATAM, INDIA
CEO, CELEBRITY AESTHETICS

HEALTH TOURISM – Modern healthcare at affordable prices is offered to medical tourists in various countries at the different level of economic development. Western population travel to other countries for their medical treatment. Long waiting lists, increasing healthcare costs, and limitations on the availability of treatment options, coupled with the ease of travel, medical tourism is gaining popularity. Medical tourism offer growth opportunities for healthcare providers. The medical tourism industry is evolving quickly and also increasing awareness levels among individuals across the world. Emerging market economies with medical expertise and medical facilities at low cost, coupled with attractive tourism sites, are expected to drive medical tourism market over the forecast period.

The Patterns of travel between source and destination countries are well-established. For example, those accessing medical treatment in Hungary tend to be from Western Europe and some countries exploit longstanding historical ties, for example between Malta and the UK or the UK and Cyprus (cf. Muscat, 2006). Other Western Europeans take advantage of the growing familiarity with countries as a result of the opening of Eastern Europe and the former USSR (for example, between the UK and Poland). However, more accurate data are required about patient flows between different countries and continents. Whilst any global map of medical tourism destinations would include Asia (India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand); South Africa; South and Central America (including Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba and Mexico); the Middle East (particularly Dubai); and a range of European destinations (Western, Scandinavian, Central and Southern Europe, Mediterranean), estimates rely on industry sources which may be biased and inaccurate.

Drivers of medical tourism include globalization – economic, social, cultural and technological. Many domestic health systems are undergoing significant challenges and strain – tightened eligibility criteria, waiting lists, and shifting priorities for health care may all impact on consumer decision making. There is also the emergence of patient choice and forms of consumerism, including within countries that traditionally have had public-funded services. Openness of information and development of diverse providers competing on quality and price now cater for all demands

It is apparent that the range of treatments available overseas for prospective medical tourists are wide, including Cosmetic surgery (breast, face, liposuction)• Dentistry (cosmetic and reconstruction)• Cardiology/cardiac surgery (by-pass, valve replacement)• Orthopaedic surgery (hip replacement, resurfacing, knee replacement, joint surgery)• Bariatric surgery (gastric by-pass, gastric banding)• Fertility/reproductive system (IVF, gender reassignment)• Organ, cell and tissue transplantation (organ transplantation; stem cell)• Eye surgery• Facial Aesthetics, Diagnostics and check-ups.• Collectively, not all of these treatments would be classed as acute and life-threatening and some are clearly more marginal to mainstream health care. Some forms of plastic surgery would be excluded from health spending (e.g., for solely cosmetic reasons); other forms of medical tourism (e.g., IVF) would be counted within the remit of health trade (OECD, 2010).

Apart from the people travelling for medical tourism, medical education made lot of health care professionals are travelling for medical
short term courses like cosmetic, plastic surgeries, facial aesthetics, medic al cosmetology with exchange of scientific knowledge bilaterally.

As we IATAM an renowned aesthetics academy receives several enquiries from different parts of world to get them trained in facial aesthetics, chemical peels & permanent makeup, micropigmentation, hair transplantation, plastic surgeries.

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DENTAL SURGEON& DENTO FACIAL AESTHETICIAN
CONSULTANT COSMETOLOGIST & TRICHOLOGIST
INTERNATIONAL TRAINER IN MEDICAL COSMETOLOGY & FACIAL AESTHETICS
FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRTECTOR, IATAM, INDIA
CHIEF MENTOR, IATAM, INDIA
CEO, CELEBRITY AESTHETICS