What is medical tourism? 5 places where you can combine treatment and rest

Answered by a travel expert.

Unique internal organ transplants are performed in India, South Korea is considered the undisputed leader in plastic surgery, and the cheapest hip replacement surgeries are performed in Japan. We have compiled for you a selection of countries that combine the tourism industry with author’s methods of treatment.

tourism expert, PhD in geography

Each of the countries acts as a flagship for a particular medical trend.

What is medtourism?

This tourism represents highly qualified medical care abroad. Simply put, it is a vacation and treatment in one bottle. But the main purpose of such a trip is to improve health, not to visit attractions (although here it is as the cards fall).

So far, the main tourists in this direction, as Anna notes, are residents of the USA, Canada and Western Europe. By the way, some of them resort to medical services abroad only because it is several times cheaper than at home.

Where and what to treat?

In the ranking of countries according to the Medical Tourism Index, Canada, Great Britain, Israel, Singapore, India, Germany, France and South Korea are the leaders. Russia is on the 34th position by this indicator.

Israel

Anna: This country is unrivaled in the treatment of oncological diseases. The most advanced methods and drugs for treating tumors are used here. People also come here for treatment of musculoskeletal apparatus diseases and rehabilitation at the Dead Sea resorts.

Clinics in Israel attract patients from all over the world (including Russia) not only by high quality of medical service, but also by its affordability. It is believed that treatment here costs 30% cheaper than the same level in Europe and the USA.

Singapore

Half a million tourists visited clinics in Singapore the year before last. Yes, it is a tiny island state, but it accommodates a lot of first-class medical institutions. Ophthalmology, orthopedics, neurology, cardiology, transplantology – these are just a part of the most popular directions here. The cost of services here is 25-40% cheaper than in the USA.

For comparison: heart bypass surgery in the USA costs $ 140 thousand, and in Singapore – $ 25 thousand. Hip joint replacement surgery, the price for which in the USA is more than $ 45 thousand, in Singapore will cost about $ 13 thousand. And do not forget that in addition to receiving high-quality services, Singapore is also a great opportunity to visit world-famous sights.

Japan

By all indicators Japan is among the most developed healthcare systems in the world. Japanese clinics are equipped with the most advanced medical equipment. Here is the highest life expectancy of the population. And this is not surprising, because the country is a leader in technology and medicine.

The most developed branches of medicine in Japan are aesthetic medicine, neurosurgery, cardiology, oncology. Prices are lower here compared to the USA – for example, hip joint replacement surgery in Japan is performed for about $ 4 thousand. In the USA the same service will cost 70% more, i.e. about $ 30 thousand.

South Korea

Anna: The undisputed leader in the field of plastic surgery. Seoul is even called the “capital” of aesthetic medicine, as more than a million such operations are performed here per year. Of course, most of the clients are Koreans themselves, but the direction is becoming more and more popular with tourists every year. Here you can even have a Botox injection or lip augmentation in a salon located at the airport. In general, it is wonderful that we live in a time when all borders are open and everyone can get any medical service. But it is much better to travel not for treatment, but for recovery.