Top 6 Asian Destinations for Health Travel

Let’s take a quick look at the top Asian destinations for health travel. This will give you a brief overview of what is available and provide a starting point for further investigation.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, which has been allowed to maintain a high degree of autonomy in all internal affairs, such as economy and culture. The SAR has carried forward its standards for medical treatment since its century-long tenure as a British crown colony. It has 12 UK QHA Trent accredited private hospitals, with several having dual accreditation with JCI. Costs are quite low, staying at 20-23% of US costs as a matter of government policy. A doctor-government alliance has launched a concerted effort to grow the role of medical tourism in Hong Kong. Currently, about 7% of patient beds are occupied by medical tourists, a percentage that is growing rapidly. Visas are not required for stays of up to 180 days.

India

India is a major player in medical tourism, welcoming more than a million medical tourists per year in 2010. Unlike many countries, India offers a wide range of medical services, with an emphasis on heart surgery, joint replacement, transplants bone marrow and other advanced procedures. . Currently, 10 of the leading hospitals in India have received JCI accreditation, and the Indian government is actively promoting international accreditation and improving medical infrastructure issues that are currently hampering the growth rate of medical tourism. Medical costs in India are among the lowest in the world at 10-20% of US rates. India, the world’s most populous democracy, has a healthy economy and encompasses great geographic and cultural diversity. Visas are required to enter, but are relatively easy to obtain.

Malaysia

Malaysia will soon welcome nearly a million medical tourists a year to its shores. The country is largely English-speaking, and medical facilities are subject to a strong internal accreditation organization, the Malaysian Society for Healthcare Quality. In addition to national accreditation, many of the best hospitals in Malaysia also seek international accreditation. Medical facilities are largely concentrated in Kuala Lumpur, perhaps one of the most beautiful cities in Asia. Medical costs average about 25% of those in the US, depending on a somewhat erratic exchange value for the ringgit. Medical services are expanding from their initial focus on cosmetic surgery to procedures for more serious ailments.

Philippines

Consisting of thousands of beautiful tropical islands, the Republic of the Philippines has been growing as a destination for medical tourism by approximately 8% per year. There are close cultural, economic, and political ties between the Philippines and the United States, which may increase the Philippines’ role as a medical tourism destination. A substantial proportion of American medical professionals have been trained in the Philippines, reflecting a strong tradition of medical education and culture. The Philippine government has set a goal of attracting some 750,000 medical tourists a year, a goal that appears to be within reach soon. Medical costs in the Philippines average around 20-25% of US prices.

Singapore

Singapore is considered to have the best healthcare system in Asia and one of the best in the world. Long an active destination for medical tourism (about a million medical tourists per year!), providing medical services to international patients is the primary goal of a multi-agency government-industry partnership. Medical tourists come from all over Asia and from all over the world. Medical costs aren’t the lowest, averaging around a third of US rates, but Singapore’s reputation as a clean, safe and cosmopolitan English-speaking city-state means the added expense worth it for many. A growing number of hospitals in Singapore are receiving international accreditation, with more than a dozen JCI accreditations as of 2006. A consistent rainforest climate makes Singapore a delight at all times of the year.

thailand

Thailand is perhaps the busiest medical tourism destination, receiving around two million medical tourists every year. A single hospital treated more than 50,000 US patients in 2005 at an average cost of about 30% of the cost of the US medical system. Almost any medical procedure can be performed somewhere in Thailand. Although many Thai doctors and nurses are trained in the US or UK and have such professional certifications, the Thai government does not emphasize the role of international accreditation of its hospitals. However, some of the best private hospitals have obtained JCI accreditation.