Come to us to be cured: top 6 popular countries for treatment abroad
In this article, we will not consider the choice itself: to go abroad or to seek medical care in your home country. This is the decision of the patient, his family and the attending physician. Sometimes the question "To go or not to go?" is not worth it at all, because the patient's life depends on it. The ability to combine rest with medical care can also be a decisive factor in making a decision. But in any case, you should prepare and think in advance about some important points related to the upcoming treatment.
Medical tourism is a rapidly developing and highly demanded area of the medical services market. From the point of view of the state, this means, first of all, the development of their own clinics and medical centers. From the patients’ point of view, this is an excellent opportunity to get qualified help in cases where it is not available in their home country for one or another reason.
Medical tourism is usually divided into:
- internal: movement within the country to receive medical care, mostly highly specialized;
- inbound: providing medical services to visiting patients;
- travelling: treatment abroad.
Ratings, ratings, ratings…
The International Association of Medical Tourism annually generates ratings of countries (MTI Ranking) for the greatest attractiveness of medicine. Not only the level of medical services themselves is evaluated, but also the socio-cultural factor. 46 countries participate in the ranking, the top 5 of them are Canada, Singapore, Japan, Spain, and England.
If you turn to the agencies for international tourism, the rating of the most popular destinations for foreign treatmentlooks a little different.
The main specializations are oncology, neurosurgery and rehabilitation.
Israel is the most popular destination for medical tourism for residents of many countries.
In Israeli clinics and medical centers, the most modern medical equipment is concentrated, there are research platforms for the development and implementation of medical innovations.
It is worth considering that it is almost impossible to get directly to Israeli clinics for treatment – only through special agencies engaged in medical tourism.
The best clinics in Israel are:
- Assuta Clinic;
- Ichilov Medical Center (Suraski);
- Rambam Hospital;
- Chaim Shiba Clinic;
- Yitzhak Rabin Medical Center;
- Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center.
Germany
The most important directions of the treatment are neurosurgery, orthopedics and oncology.
The main advantage of the treatment in Germany is the qualification of German doctors. Training for a doctor lasts an average of 15 years, many specialists are trained in clinics in the United States, Israel and Europe.
The developed accompanying service also contributes to the active attraction of foreign patients. The host party also takes care of household needs: comfortable wards, organized meals, a personal medical coordinator and an interpreter are provided.
Much attention in the country is paid to the issues of reconstruction. Rehabilitation centers include swimming pools, outdoor physical therapy, parkland, access to mineral springs, and specialized nutrition. In some centers, hippotherapy is performed, and for people with motor disorders, robotic walking simulators are used.
German clinics can be:
- University – they have the widest scientific base, which allows them to participate in clinical trials and gives access to the most innovative methods of treatment;
- Private – they provide the highest service of patient support throughout the entire treatment, there is an opportunity to choose a doctor;
- State - they are distinguished by the most loyal pricing policy and a more modest accompanying service, but the level of medical services themselves is no lower than in private clinics.
Czech Republic
The key specializations are orthopedics, surgery and rehabilitation.
In the Czech Republic, there are many medical institutions known abroad. Offering, on the one hand, reasonable prices, and on the other, high quality of medical services, Czech clinics are deservedly popular with foreign patients.
In medical research centers, active developments in the biochemical industry are being conducted, and the possibilities of biomedical engineering (creation and transplantation of artificial organs) are being studied. The latest methods of surgery are actively used: the Da Vinci robotic system and the cyber knife.
No less developed in the Czech Republic is the health-improving direction of medical tourism, which is facilitated by the presence of narrow-profile rehabilitation centers, resorts and health resorts.
The most popular Czech clinics include:
- Motol University Hospital;
- Cancer Center for Proton Therapy;
- St. Zdislava Hospital;
- Clinic on Gomolets;
- Malvazinki Rehabilitation Clinic.
Austria
The basic specializations are orthopedics, oncology and ophthalmology.
Medical tourism in Austria is more focused on health improvement and prevention of various diseases. The key areas in this field are early diagnosis and identification of predispositions to certain types of diseases.
Diagnostic and rehabilitation centers in Austria are deservedly among the best in Europe due to favorable climatic conditions, high-tech equipment and caring medical staff. The popularity of Austrian clinics is largely caused by the well-known highly qualified specialists working there.
The following Austrian medical centers, popular with foreign patients, are:
- Central Vienna Clinical Hospital;
- Vienna Private Clinic;
- Private clinic Debling.
Turkey
The leading directions of the medical tourism are plastic surgery, oncology, neuro-oncology and oncohematology.
According to the International Istanbul Medical Tourism Organization, more than 700,000 patients come to Turkey for diagnosis and treatment every year.
The popularity of Turkish clinics is based on the following factors:
* the lowest prices in Europe (including due to the exemption from VAT on treatment and rehabilitation);
* short waiting period (the approval process with clinics is the easiest and fastest);
* easy border crossing and no need to obtain visas;
* hospitals actively cooperate with charitable foundations, which allows you to organize fees for treatment;
* all diagnostic and medical procedures comply with current international standards and are subject to strict control by the International Health Service.
The accompanying service is also developed in Turkey: organization of a meeting at the airport, transfer to the clinic or place of residence, provision of a personal coordinator and interpreter.
Another feature of private Turkish clinics is that most of them are branches of large American or European hospitals. This allows you to receive high-quality medical services of the European and American level, but at lower prices.
Most popular clicks in Turkey are
- Liv Ulus Clinic;
- Memorial Bahcelievler Clinic;
- Medical Park Clinic Antalya;
- Koch University Hospital;
- Ajibadem Atakent Hospital;
- American Hospital in Istanbul.
South Korea
The most important specializations are plastic surgery, oncology and orthopedics.
The popularity of Korean clinics has been growing significantly in recent years, which is due not only to the qualification of medical staff and high-tech equipment of clinics, but also to democratic prices. The cost of treatment in South Korea is significantly lower than in Europe.
The following medical areas are in particular demand among foreign patients: neurosurgery, robotic surgery, plastic surgery and cardiac surgery.
The most popular medical institutions in South Korea are the following:
- Samsung Medical Center;
- Severance Clinic;
- Idi Hospital Plastic Surgery Center.
How to prepare for the trip
When the country and clinic are selected, the question ‘What to do next?’ appears. As they say, there are only two options: to entrust the organization of your trip to special agencies for medical tourism, or to organize it yourself. In the first case, most of the care is taken by the organizing company, in the second – it depends on the patient.
If you decide to organize your own treatment abroad, you should consider the following points.
1. Coordination of the date of arrival and the upcoming treatment with the clinic.
After selecting the country and medical institution, it is necessary to coordinate the stages of treatment and the necessary medical documents with the host party. Also, do not forget to request an official invitation, the confirmation that you will be treated in the chosen clinic.
2. Language barrier
Ideally, of course, you and your doctor should speak the same language, but this is not always possible. Therefore, you should carefully consider this point: perhaps your interpreter will be one of the accompanying persons, or the host party will take over the translation duties.
Also, before leaving, you must translate your medical documents into English (or the language of the country where you will be treated) – the results of tests, extracts, and medical reports.
3. Required documents
In addition to medical documents, you may need a medical visa. To obtain a visa, you must bring an invitation from the clinic to the consulate of the country you are going to.
4. Accommodation
In advance, it is worth considering accommodation options for you, if there is no need for a round-the-clock hospital, and accompanying persons. Some foreign clinics have special hotels for patients and their relatives. Sometimes patients themselves cooperate and jointly rent housing near the clinic – so it turns out to significantly save on living expenses.
5. Financial issue
Probably, it is the most acute in modern realities. At the stage of approval of the trip with the clinic, it is necessary to specify not only the cost of the treatment itself, but also possible accompanying procedures – additional diagnostics, rehabilitation, and medications.
If the funding is provided through a charitable foundation, you should specify in advance about the cooperation of the foundation with the selected clinic.
We would like to add one more point - confidence in the successful treatment. After all, according to doctors, much depends on the mood of the patient and his desire to defeat the disease.