What is Medical Tourism?
Medical tourism is the process tourists traveling outside the country of residence for the purpose of receiving medical care to save money on costly procedures.
In what is seen as surprising, many people, now travel even short distances like from the U.S.A to Canada for medical procedures. Ofcourse, the cost savings are main consideration here. Medical procedures like surgery are less expensive in Canada than in most parts of the U.S. However, the most attractive destinations for medical tourism are Thailand, the Philippines and India. India in particular is gaining rapid prominence as a haven for medical tourists because of its highly skilled physicians/surgeons at extremely affordable costs.
For example, a complicated heart valve replacement surgery would cost anywhere in the region of $200-250K in the United States. A similar procedure could cost just between $10-25,000 in India or Thailand. Not only would this price cover the surgery and hospitalization charges, it would also cover the return airfare and leave enough cash to even enjoy a relaxing post surgery vacation in these countries. Similarly, many dental procedures like a non metal dental bridge which averages around $6000 in the U.S, can cost around $500-600 in India. Plus, the quality and expertise of the medical professionals in many cases is on par or even higher than those found in the U.S or other western countries.
Some other destinations for medical tourism are South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Jordan, Lithuania, Singapore and Hungary. Argentina and Brazil are especially growing in prominence for their cosmetic/plastic surgery skills.
