HealthAbroad.net: Point of View

Keen to promote Malaysia as a top destination for medical tourism, authorities are cracking down on fake medical centers. 6 clinics, some even delivering babies, were shut down ahead of a nationwide crackdown. The fake doctors will be charged under national law, with a maximum fine of $85,653 and six years in jail.

This action sends a strong message to dubious medical practioners, locals and foreigners alike that the administration means business. The presence of fake and unqualified doctors not only gives medical tourism a bad name, but it also detrimental to the local population who are more likely to fall victim, and sometimes with fatal consequences.

With more Americans flying abroad for low cost high quality treatment than ever before, and the big American companies complaining about rising healthcare costs and high operating costs, affordable health insurance has made it to Bush’s State of the Union Address. Marketplace Radio reports that Bush is proposing tax breaks for those buying health insurance.

Nearly 47 million Americans do not have health insurance.

Riding on the crest of booming economic growth, Vietnam’s middle class is taking to plastic surgery in a big way. But as this article points out, with demand far outstripping supply, unqualified plastic surgeons are leaving women with serious medical problems.

Where some years ago, heavy make-up was the only option, now, a $300 nose job, $500 eyelid lift or a $2000 breast augmentation–a fraction of what women pay in the West, has many takers. In the absence of regulators, unqualified surgeons and fly by night operators are cashing in.

The article points out that in Ho Chi Minh City, some 200 plastic surgery clinics are in operation but only 50 odd are accredited by the city health authorities.

The Government of Malaysia has asked hospitals to focus on sophisticated and high-end treatment such as heart surgery, dental surgery and comprehensive plastic surgery which cost anywhere between $5000-10,000 in the country. According to the country’s Health Minister, at present too many hospitals are focusing on low-end surgery such as basic cosmetic surgery which cost $500-$1000.

According to the Health Minister points while the number of foreign patients coming to Malaysia for treatment has increased over the years, this is not reflected in the $ earnings. In 2004, about 175,000 foreigners sought treatment in Malaysian hospitals and this number went up to 230,000 in 2005 but there was little discernible change in the foreign exchange generated.

Indonesians form the majority of foreign patients coming to Malaysia.

The Czech Republic is becoming a popular destination for women seeking assisted reproduction through In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The country’s 23 IVF centers offer services remarkably cheaper than in Western Europe, but also high-quality treatment with a high success rate.

Easy access to sperm and egg donation is also an attraction for a growing number of childless couples from Germany, Austria, Italy and the United Kingdom. The 37.8 percent success rate for assisted reproduction in the Czech Republic is about the same as the United States, but it is much better than in other European countries. In Germany, it is only 27 percent and Germans are the biggest foreign group seeking assisted reproduction in the Czech Republic.

IVF treatment in the Czech Republic is also much cheaper than in other European countries and the US. IVF attempts are usually conducted in 10-day cycles, and the price for one cycle (including medication) is $2,400-2,850, while in London it’s $7,000 per cycle and in Italy about $8,500. In the United States, one cycle can cost as much as $18,500.

Even as medical tourism picks up, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has come up with a set of guidelines for patients who are seeking cosmetic procedures abroad (and also to protect their livelihood!).

Read here

Recently, we wrote about Indian hospitals tying up with foreign airlines to reach out to prospective markets. Now comes news that Malaysian Airlines is offering medical tourism packages in supporting the Malaysian Government’s efforts to promote medical tourism in the country.

According to an official authorised to speak on the matter, the package includes a medical check-up, accommodation with daily breakfast and airport transfers for prices ranging from US$300 to US$1,029.

Common sense would say that Indian hospitals should tie up with the the national carrier Air India, in an effort to promote India as a medical destination. But the airline’s poor service record and plummeting reputation inspires little confidence.