UK and EUROPE: Proton beam therapy case ignites debate on NHS paying for medical tourism Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:17:53 GMTThe recent high profile case of British child, Ashya King, has sparked a war of words in the media and on social media between the parents on one side and the police and NHS on the other. Hampshire Police tweets said that the parents had broken the law by removing their son from hospital care and taking him abroad to raise funds for proton beam therapy. The hospital claimed never to have had any objection to the parents taking their child and paying for treatment in the Czech Republic. If the parents had not been so social media aware and pro-active, the story may have had a different ending. People in the UK seek private proton therapy treatment in the USA and Europe. France, the USA, Germany and Switzerland have had proton cancer treatment centres for some years. Two centres are under development in the UK. The NHS funds proton beam treatment for NHS patients in the USA, when the clinical team believe it is the appropriate treatment option. Proton beam therapy is a highly targeted type of radiotherapy that can treat hard-to-reach cancers, such as spinal or brain tumours. It has a lower risk of damaging the surrounding tissue and causing side effects than other treatments. Like regular radiotherapy, proton beam therapy kills cancer cells. But unlike X-ray beams, proton beams stop once they hit their target instead of...

DUBAI: Medical tourism packages to be launched in October Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:23:25 GMTMedical tourism packages on treatment in Dubai for residents and visitors will be launched in late October. Dr Ramadan Ibrahim of Dubai Health Authority explains, "Medical tourism packages will be rolled out for tourists and residents alike in Dubai. We have collaborated with Emirates Holidays, Dubai Immigration, the Department of Tourism and other stakeholders to roll-out several medical tourism packages. For tourists the package will include hotel stay and flight tickets. For residents, it will offer discounted rates for certain medical services. The packages are comprehensive and convenient." The packages will cover seven areas of treatment including dermatology, weight loss, dentistry, preventive health check-ups, cosmetic surgery, orthopaedics and ophthalmology. Only packages for wellness and health-check-ups will be launched in October. These will range from basic checks to executive ones offering comprehensive health services. Packages for men and women will include specialist consultation, laboratory tests and other diagnostic tests. A women’s health package will include consultation with a gynaecologist, several investigations including but not limited to blood tests and breast cancer screening and mammogram. There will also be a weight-loss package that includes consultation with a dietician and diet plans based on the person’s medical history. This package offers discounts ranging from 10 to 40 % at various health facilities in Dubai. 40 hospitals and clinics in Dubai have signed up to the packages and been designated as health tourism centres. Other hospitals and clinics will offer...

SPAIN: Most popular wellness treatments in Gran Canaria Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:27:02 GMTThe Gran Canaria Spa Wellness & Health Association has identified the top six most popular medical treatments. Most customers come from the United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia. The most popular treatments are: • Botox or similar treatment to remove wrinkles between the eyebrows, crow’s feet and forehead. • Hyaluronic acid to diminish wrinkles and plumps areas like lips or cheekbones. • Lifting with micro cannulas: a non-invasive procedure that corrects wrinkles and lost volume. • Bio stimulation facial rejuvenation treatment through the application of autologous plasma (blood fraction containing the patient’s own regenerative factors). • Radiofrequency and mesotherapy to restore skin hydration and lost elasticity caused through ageing. • Personalised cosmetic treatment on skin to reduce the impact of aging. A popular destination is the Hospitales San Roque in Gran Canaria, where they can combine a healthy rejuvenating break with medical aesthetic treatments that include cosmetic surgery, health checks, and cardiologic checks .They can also have a range of natural spa treatments at Gran Canaria Wellness. The Canary Islands are a tourism hotspot with 12 million tourists visiting each year. The Gran Canaria Spa, Wellness and Health Association consists of 12 hotels and a private medical group. Read More >>

DUBAI: Fertility treatment is the most popular treatment for medical tourists Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:29:51 GMTIn a survey of medical professionals in Dubai Healthcare City, the most popular reported treatment for medical tourists is for infertility. The survey was commissioned by Dubai Healthcare City using respondents from its 120 medical facilities. The data collected represents a six-month period, beginning January 2014. The sample size was weighted for facilities that offer clinical services so that it was representative of the medical tourism profile. DHCC surveyed doctors on their views, observations and expectations of medical tourism in Dubai. 48 % of medical tourists come primarily from the GCC; 32 % cent from the wider Arab World; 26 % from Eastern and Western Europe; and 23 % from Asia. For those travelling from Saudi Arabia or Oman, Lebanon or Egypt, the UAE is a natural choice: it is close to home, and there are linguistic and cultural similarities that help foster better understanding between them and their doctors. The three most popular procedures are: first, infertility treatments, second, cosmetic treatments, and third, dental. Doctors say that 89% of medical tourists go to Dubai for quality of care; 62% for the city’s experienced doctors, while 48% go for the availability of specialist treatments, and 36% because Dubai is nearby; the figures combined show that there are often several reasons not just one. Care has to be taken with these results as this is the doctor view of what they think the reasons for...

USA: Houston becoming a medical tourism destination Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:32:56 GMTHouston becoming a medical tourism destination. Once best known as the Texas home of America’s space programme, Houston is now attracting an estimated 20,000 medical tourists a year. The Texas Medical Center recently initiated a study of how much medical tourism business currently comes to Houston, to help it a plan to further build its name recognition abroad. A few years ago it had many national and international medical tourists, but recession, poor marketing and competition from nearby Mexico hit numbers hard. For the last two years it has been rebuilding the business, particularly as the drugs war on the borders that has claimed 40,000 lives is frightening people off Mexico. The plan for Texas Medical Center is to be a global healthcare destination. It wants to increase the number of affiliations around the world with foreign hospitals, medical schools and private companies, It is also setting up offices abroad to build name recognition and attract patients. Texas always claims to have the biggest of everything, so it is no surprise to find The Texas Medical Center (TMC) claiming to be the largest medical complex in the world. TMC includes 21 hospitals, 13 support organizations, eight academic and research institutions, six nursing programmes, three public health organizations, three medical schools, two universities, two pharmacy schools, and a dental school. It attracts a staggering 7.4 million people every year; more than the combined populations of Los Angeles, Houston, and...

INDIA: Airline helps Afghan medical tourists Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:36:53 GMTA financially troubled airline is attracting business by offering low fares to fly Afghans to India for medical treatment. Loss making SpiceJet has cut routes, executives, pilot and aircraft numbers in a bid to survive. It has increased passenger numbers, but often by cutting fares to get volume. Whether the budget airline or new medical tourism route will survive is unknown. There are hospitals in Afghanistan, but the quality is low compared to India. So it is attractive for Afghans to combine low cost flights with low cost treatment in New Delhi. Indian visas are easy to get and not so easy for the alternative of Pakistan, which is also seen as a less secure and less friendly place to go. SpiceJet is the only private Indian carrier with direct flights to war-torn Afghanistan. India has made it easier to get visas and estimates that the number of Afghans seeking treatment, and in 2013 had 32,000 medical visas, set to increase substantially in 2014. SpiceJet flies 1000 Afghan medical tourists and their relatives each month from Kabul to New Delhi, and claims the route is very profitable. Since July, easier visa rules mean that Afghans can stay for as long as two years at a time and medical tourists with medical visas do not have to report to Indian police stations. Few airlines will fly to Afghanistan but after more than 12 months of losses, with mounting costs and...

USA: If the patient will not come to you, take the hospital to the patient Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:39:22 GMTThe USA medical tourism market is developing in new ways by exporting healthcare expertise. Rather than expecting patients to come to the USA, leading hospitals are building overseas networks and partnerships to take hospitals and doctors to overseas patients. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when travel visas into the U.S. were delayed, the Cleveland Clinic saw its traffic from abroad slow to a trickle. So it began opening or managing hospitals overseas. Since 2007, it has managed Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, a 750-bed hospital in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. In 2015, it opens Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a 360-bed hospital in the UAE. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center sees going global as a natural extension of UPMC’s services. UPMC operates a multi-organ transplant centre and specialty surgery hospital in Palermo, Italy, that has been responsible for more than 1500 transplants; is collaborating with a Singapore medical centre on a new transplant centre; and runs a radiation therapy clinic in Ireland. Last year the Mayo Clinic added an international hospital, Medica Sur in Mexico City, to its network. Medica Sur is not owned nor managed by Mayo, but had to meet strict criteria for quality and safety, such as low readmission rates, and can use Mayo’s research and expertise Johns Hopkins Medicine International, based in Baltimore, has links and affiliations in a dozen countries, including Brazil, China, Saudi...

GLOBAL: New medical tourism book from Glenn Cohen Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:42:23 GMTNovember will see the launch of a major new book on medical tourism from a US lawyer who divides the medical tourism community between those who believe he raises important points, and others who believe he is “bad for business”. Glenn Cohen’s new book "Patients with Passports: Medical Tourism, Law, and Ethics" is from Oxford University Press. It claims to be the first comprehensive legal and ethical analysis of medical tourism; examining both the legal and ethical issues raised by medical tourism and how the two interact. It provides data and explanations of the industry and tackles what the publisher says are the most prevalent legal and ethical issues facing medical tourism today. The publisher’s advance notice for the book says, "Can your employer require you to travel to India for a hip replacement as a condition of insurance coverage? If injury results, can you sue the doctor, hospital or insurer for medical malpractice in the country where you live? Can a country prohibit its citizens from helping a relative travel to Switzerland for assisted suicide? What about travel for abortion? Glenn Cohen tackles these important questions, and provides the first comprehensive legal and ethical analysis of medical tourism. Some seek legitimate services like hip replacements and travel to avoid queues, save money, or because their insurer has given them an incentive to do so. Others seek to circumvent prohibitions on accessing services at home and go...

SOUTH KOREA: Asiana Airlines promotes medical tourism Fri, 03 Oct 2014 15:15:21 GMTAsiana Airlines, one of Korea’s flagship carriers, has seen that it can increase business by attracting medical tourists to South Korea. Rather than passively carrying more medical tourists each year, it is now working with hospitals and clinics in South Korea to promote the country as a medical tourism destination with advanced medical techniques and facilities. Asiana looks to become the primary carrier for foreign medical tourists and has formed business partnerships with 24 hospitals and clinics. The first was in 2009 with Hanyang University Hospital. It plans to add more hospitals and clinics to the partnership list. The latest is a cooperation agreement with Yonsei University Healthcare System to jointly attract non-Korean patients. They will together develop a health check programme for foreign tourists and have promotional events abroad. The airline will offer discounts to those visiting Yonsei University Healthcare System for healthcare services. In return, the hospital plans to make it more affordable for Asiana passengers to use its medical services. Kim Soo-cheon of Asiana Airlines says, ’’ We have been actively promoting Korea abroad as an attractive medical tourism destination. By doing so, we have been able to secure this segment of non-Korean visitors. We will continue to boost cooperation with domestic medical institutions to encourage more foreigners to visit Korea to take advantage of advanced healthcare services.’’ According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the number of medical tourists will likely reach 250,000 in...

GLOBAL: Spa and wellness holidays are good for you Fri, 03 Oct 2014 15:41:39 GMTUnless it is a wellness holiday, most people return from holiday feeling less revitalised than when they left, claims Spafinder Wellness. A global survey of 3,352 people says that 85% returned from a holiday feeling less revitalised than when they left unless they are opting for a wellness break which puts relaxation at its core. According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is one of the fastest-growing travel categories, already representing one in seven tourism dollars and experiencing nearly 50 % more growth than global tourism overall. Spafinder defines wellness travel “as holidays, getaways and business trips that help travellers stay or get well when travelling” by offering distinct wellness-related programmes and facilities. From nutrition, healing and mindset to state-of-the-art spas, fitness and wellness centres, health travel destinations make the wellbeing of travellers a top priority. 82% of travellers want a holiday where they can unwind and enjoy spa treatment. 87 % want healthier food and 70% would like to use a gym when they are abroad. Hotels are offering destination-spa-like programming during special weeks, often headlined by celebrity trainers and wellness gurus. Four Seasons Resort Marrakech offers multiday, juice-regimen-themed retreats, combining cleansing with daily yoga and nutritional counselling. More hotels are also offering healthy sleep fitness and treatments. Park Hyatt Tokyo has a free, instructor-led “Good Night Sleep Stretch” in its fitness studio. Read More >>

GLOBAL: Transplant tourism from the Middle East to China raises ethical issues Fri, 03 Oct 2014 15:47:50 GMTIn a recent speech to the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation in Istanbul, Canadian international human rights lawyer David Matas shed light on one of the hidden aspects of medical tourism. The focus was on transplant tourism from the Middle East into China. Matas concluded, “ There is every reason to conclude that there is substantial transplant tourism from countries in the Middle East to countries where the patients are not nationals and to China in particular. Transplant tourism into China means receiving organs from prisoners of conscience killed for their organs. The efforts in the region to combat this transplant tourism are underdeveloped. There needs to be more of an effort in the Middle East to combat transplant tourism. National professional associations should require compliance with international standards.” The key professional international standards on transplant tourism are:• The Transplantation Society Ethics Committee Policy Statement Chinese Transplantation Program November 2006 and Mission Statement (TTS).• The Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism May 2008 (Istanbul)• World Health Organization Guiding Principles on Human Cell, Tissue and Organ Transplantation, May 2008 (WHO)• World Medical Association Statement on Organ and Tissue Donation October 2012 (WMA) Every national and regional professional association and society should develop a written ethics policy on the clinical practice of transplantation, including the subject of executed prisoners. (TTS) There should be no recovery and no complicity in the recovery...

INDIA: New studies of medical tourism in Kolkata and Karnataka Fri, 03 Oct 2014 15:48:23 GMTA new Indian study of medical tourism in Kolkata warns that allegations of hospital dumping of medical waste means a proper environmental impact assessment is vital before the City seeks to promote medical tourism. Another report says that Karnataka too cannot be an effective destination until it solves problems of air connections and lack of combined promotion. A joint KPMG and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry report, ’Medical Value Travel in India’ says that while Bangalore has the potential for medical tourism, lack of air connectivity and promotional initiatives act as a deterrent. It says as few as 10 to 15 international patients a day go there for cardiac, oncology or neurosurgical treatments. The region struggles to compete with Chennai and New Delhi. With the state government keen on promoting Bangalore for medical tourism, addressing these issues is essential. An academic study by Anu Raia and others “Regional Imbalance in Medical Opportunities: Bridging the Gap by Medical Tourism” published in the, Thematic Journal of Geography, looked at Kolkata as a medical tourism destination. The authors identified 13 medical tourism agents specifically promoting treatment in the city. They all concentrated marketing on accessibility to low cost quality care without any waiting period and identified 22 hospitals and clinics accepting medical tourists. These were a mixture of large and small, general and specialist, well-known brands and lesser-known locals. Most agents seek to sell...

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico launches medical tourism strategy Fri, 03 Oct 2014 15:49:05 GMTThe Economic Development and Commerce department of Puerto Rico has presented its strategy for promoting itself as a medical tourism destination, especially among the Hispanic population of the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast, the main target for medical care including dental treatment, liposuction and weight-loss surgery at prices far lower than in the USA. The Puerto Rican administration commissioned a market study from which it deduces that medical costs on the island are between 40 % and 60 % lower than in the USA. An Advantage Business Consulting study commissioned by the government identified a wealth of opportunities in a variety of specialties including: dental, cardiology, orthopedics, bariatric surgery, cancer treatment, neurosurgery, gynaecology and infertility, pediatrics, ophthalmology and certain cosmetic procedures. Alberto Baco of Economic Development and Commerce explains, "This has been talked about for a decade. Now we are taking action. Puerto Rico has a privileged situation in this market. 3,000 jobs can be created linked to the industry, which is expected to serve 30,000 patients over the next three years. It is a new sector in Puerto Rico, which is going to create business, and will require more hotels. We more expensive than Latin America, but as a U.S. jurisdiction, offer more security and guarantees. When going to have surgery, your main concern is the training of the doctor. The majority of our doctors have studied in the USA and our hospitals are accredited,...

COSTA RICA: Costa Rica targets Alzheimer patients Fri, 03 Oct 2014 15:49:28 GMTHigh care costs in the United States for patients with Alzheimer’s disease are prompting families to look to other countries, including Costa Rica, as an alternative treatment option. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Alzheimer’s patients live in the U.S., and someone is diagnosed with the condition every 67 seconds. Out-of-pocket health care costs paid by family members of Alzheimer’s patients will total $34 billion in 2014. Seeing a potential market, some care centres in Costa Rica now offer bilingual services targeting Alzheimer’s patients. La Casa Sol, in the San José suburb of Escazú, is a day care centre offering physiotherapy, psycho geriatric evaluations and sensory stimulation. Jenny Mora of La Casa Sol advises, "Patients have several options, including music therapy that includes singing and dancing, table games, gardening, a literature club, and sports such as volleyball and golf. La Casa Sol has about 45 patients, but they do not attend every day. Some attend once a month, while others visit two or three times a week. Some are from the United States, and others are from Venezuela, Spain, Colombia, Chile and Brazil. We have staff who speak English, and those who don’t speak Spanish won’t feel isolated. Dancing exercises explanations are given in both languages.” The centre offers care, and has links to doctors and hospitals for medical care at affordable prices. It can also help patients find and purchase affordable prescription drugs. The...

RWANDA: Rwanda aims to be a medical tourism destination Fri, 03 Oct 2014 15:49:45 GMTMost Rwandans are on a subsistence income, with poor healthcare, but local officials still claim that they will, in years to come, become a medical tourism destination. The Central African country would like to develop regional medical tourism but needs overseas investors to set up hospitals to stop locals from going abroad for treatment and attract people from nearby countries such as Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda. The people that hospitals want to stop going overseas, or attract to the country, are not the majority of the population. Their target is specifically politicians, local officials, army officers, and business people, who can afford to pay for themselves and their family with money from their own pockets, or from the organisation they work for. Some local hospitals are being renovated and expanded. The Rwanda Military Hospital (RMH) that is constructing a Rwf1.8 billion wing for very important persons. Construction works started in October last year and will be complete early next year. Seeking the same market are the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) and King Faisal Hospital (KFH) that both operate healthcare facilities for very important patients. RMH has agreed with Turkish international hospital chain, the Memorial Health Care Group, to have Memorial offer specialist consultation services, train medical personnel, assist in research and conduct clinical lectures. It will also conduct medical specialty clinics in transplant surgery, cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics, nephrology, neurosurgery and paediatric cardiology. There are...