The
Philippines was ranked 8th among the top medical tourism destinations in the
world, ahead of countries such as Japan and France, according to the 2015 list
of the International Healthcare Research Center and the Medical Tourism
Association (MTA).
MTA is a
global non-profit association for medical tourism and international patient
industry which represents healthcare providers, governments, insurance
companies, employers and other buyers of healthcare.
According
to the MTA index, Canada emerged as the top medical tourism destination
worldwide, providing the most suitable economical, secure and cultural
environment, and an acceptable healthcare cost. The UK and Israel came second
and third, respectively. Singapore
ranked 4th, ahead of Costa Rica (5th), Italy (6th), and Germany (7th).
Clients
of the Philippines for medical tourism come from East Asia (China, Japan,
Korea, Taiwan), Sri Lanka, the Pacific Islands (Guam, Palau, Marshall Islands,
and Micronesia), Australia, North and South America, Europe and the United
Kingdom, and the Gulf States. Filipino expats and overseas Filipino workers
likewise prefer to have their medical procedures done in the country.
The
Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Trade
and Industry – Board of Investments (DTI–BOI) have a joint program to promote
Philippine medical tourism.
This
informal partnership resulted in a roadmap that identified five major segments
in the international medical travel sector: tourists, who come for spa and
other wellness services; medical tourists, who avail of low-acuity medical
procedures; medical travelers, who purposely come to specifically avail of more
complex procedures; international patients, including overseas Filipino
workers, expats, and retireers; and accompanying guests, either friends or
immediate kin of travelers.
To date,
medical tourism in the Philippines caters to approximately 80,000 to 250,000
patients or clients annually. As of the DOT, DOH, DTI-BOI’s latest count, 62
hospitals around the country are now internationally accredited.
To date,
five Philippine medical institutions, namely Asian Hospital and Medical Center
(Muntinlupa City), Makati Medical Center (Makati City), St. Luke’s Medical
Center (Global City and Quezon City), and The Medical City (Pasig City) have
been certified as institutions for excellent medical care by the Joint
Commission International (JCI), the only patient safety and quality healthcare
accreditation and certification body with membership in more than 100 countries
worldwide. JCI accreditation is both intensive and extensive in its standards,
and assessment is comprehensive, thus ensuring that a hospital with the JCI
seal can provide the care that medical tourists require.
In a 2014
study by renowned medical tourism author Ian Youngman, global health and
wellness tourism market is worth $438.6 billion. And Philippine medical tourism
was able to generate $66 million and $145 million for 2013 and 2014,
respectively.
Among the
factors cited in the survey include competitive price of health and wellness
services, the warm hospitality and compassion that Filipinos are known for,
high standards of healthcare provided in internationally-accredited hospitals
by well-educated and English-speaking healthcare professionals. The country’s
proximity to major international hubs and its tropical climate are also a boon
to medical travelers, encouraging healing and relaxation after medical
procedures.
DOT
Director for Medical Travel and Wellness Tourism, Cynthia Lazo, said it is
crucial to have a ‘One Country Package.’ “It has to be a country effort, a
collective effort of every medical and wellness facility in the country, for
the Philippines to be accepted in the medical and wellness market,” she said,
citing it as the game changer in Philippine medical tourism.
“Our
value proposition is, time and again, our 7,107 islands which a medical
traveler can choose from, while availing of a clinical or wellness procedure in
the country,” Director Lazo expounded, citing Cebu-Bohol package which
identifies the former for medical and the latter for holiday.
According
to Director Lazo, the Philippine medical and wellness tourism market
opportunities come from the United States of America/Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, Middle East, Europe, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Fiji, and other
short-haul markets. The DOT has also been gathering market intelligence that
would enable Philippine medical and wellness facilities tap potential markets
such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Qatar, Ethiopia, and Argentina.
Bernie
Magkilat
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