The sector of medical tourism has experienced a steep growth in the last few years, and according to the experts the boom is here to stay. Patients seeking treatment in overseas countries for higher quality health care, lower cost and better privacy is a growing trend that has been observed amongst patients across the globe. According to reports, each year, around 8 million patients from across the world opt for treatment in countries other than their homeland, fueling a global industry of $24-$40 billion. Currently, medical tourism or health tourism stands as one of the major sources of revenue for the top notch medical care facilities across the world. This article will tell you about the top best destinations for medical tourism at the present scenario.
- Singapore: Singapore enjoys a global reputation for its high quality health care facilities, and currently the Singapore government is also promoting the country as a hub for excellence in surgery and treatment. In 2013, between 400 thousand and 610 thousand patients travelled to the country for the purpose of treatment. Betterhealth care and low cost are the key factors that have made Singapore one of the most popular destinations for medical tourism. The Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore, owned by Parkway Holdings, was ranked amongst the top 10 hospitals of the world for medical tourism. A heart bypass surgery approximately costs $18,500 and a critical damaged knee cartilage removing operation costs around $8,300 to $11,000 in the top most hospitals of Singapore.
- India: India has come up as one of the top most destinations for medical tourism. The medical tourism industry of India is expected to cover the mark of $4 billion by 2015. Larger cities of India, including, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Mumbai enjoy extensive influx of overseas patients. The low cost along with better treatment makes India a favorite medical tourism option for not only the patients from neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Central Asia, but also for Americans and Europeans. A heart valve replacement costs around $9,000 and Angioplasty costs around $12,000 in India under the best facilities.
- Thailand: Thailand is particularly popular for meticulous cosmetic surgeries. In 2013, the country attracted over 1.2 million patients for medical tourism. The Bumrungrad International, located in the capital city of Bangkok is one of the best known hospitals in the world for medical tourism. Even the most sophisticated cosmetic treatments including gender reassignment costs around 50% to 70% less in Thailand compared to that of US. A nose job in Bumrungrad International costs around $6,000, and a knee replacement in any of the top most hospitals of Thailand will cost around $11,000.
- Malaysia: Malaysia is another top most medical tourism destination. The country enjoys a heavy flow of medical tourists from Indonesia along with medical tourists from American states and European countries. The cost of medical treatment in Malaysia is comparable with that of the low cost of India. Malaysia has a high percentage of fluent English speaking people and the environment is also less jarring for the people from the western countries. Malaysia is very popular for healthcare screening and a total health screening package in one of the top most facilities of Malaysia costs around $1,500 which is around 70% less than that of US.
- Mexico: Mexico is quickly becoming a highly sort after medical tourism destination in the wake of better medical facilities at a cheaper cost. In 2013, the country attracted around 1.1 million patients from overseas. The primary patient base of Mexico include Americans who fly across the border for a much cheaper dental work, weight loss treatment and also for surgeries. According to reports, treatments in Mexico costs 40 to 65 percent less than in US, making it an attractive destination for patients.
- United States: Despite of the huge cost of medical treatments in the US, the country attracts a high number of medical tourists from overseas countries. The Cleveland Clinic located in Ohio and the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore is known for attracting maximum numbers of international patients. According to reports, last year, foreign patients between 600,000 and 800,000 travelled to the US for treatment. The highly specialized and cutting edge technology oriented medical facilities available in the country work as the primary attraction for medical tourists looking for top notch health care.
