Shopping for the Experts in the Field of Medical Tourism

Shopping for the Experts in the Field of
Medical Tourism

Copyright © 2008 Medical-Tourism-Guide.com
by Jay Siva

You’ve been hearing about medical tourism and you have come to understand that it is a viable option for obtaining medical services. You also know that not all doctors and facilities are equal, regardless of what country is being spoken of. How does a person begin to determine who the experts are?

The Country
Some countries have been providing top quality medical services for hundreds of years. Other countries are only now coming to the point of sending their people out to receive medical training elsewhere and then come back to serve at home. Still other countries continue to provide medical services that are below acceptable standards.

Many countries are recognizing that the opportunity exists to turn their tourist dollars into 4-5 times that amount, if they begin providing quality medical services to the tourists who are already coming to their region. Additional tourists can be brought to the area with a strong marketing plan.

Those with the vision for revitalizing some of the poorest countries in the world are now competing to become the top medical tourism providers in the world. The strong competition is the driving force behind the boom in the industry over the past ten years.

The facility
Countries and corporations are realizing that in order to draw the medical tourist to their area, rather than another, it is essential to provide a state of the art facility. Many of the multi-million dollar complexes are being built to resemble resorts, and rival five star resorts worldwide.

It is unfortunate that there are some facilities that are brand new and fully staffed, but are not adhering to sanitation guidelines. Phone and email conversations with former patrons of the facility will give you critical information concerning the cleanliness of the building and is well worth your time and effort. It will not be worth it for you to save tens of thousands of dollars to go to a state of the art facility with well trained doctors, if you end up with a staff infection, intestinal problems and other issues resulting from poor sanitation.

The Equipment
When trying to decide which are the best facilities, be sure to look beyond the nice building and paintings. You need to find out what equipment the facility has and how old it is. Because state of the art diagnostic equipment can be as costly as erecting a building, some are opting to purchase outdated and second hand equipment. Still others have equipment that looks good in the pictures, but is malfunctioning.

It should be pointed out that this is not the norm. Most new facilities are also equipped with the latest equipment such as heart mapping equipment, CT Scanners, Open MRI machines, heart catheterization labs, digital ultrasound and mammogram machines and more. Contact with the facility to inquire about their equipment, reference checks and using a medical tourism travel agent are some ways to safeguard against problems.

The Doctors
With the rise of the medical tourism industry is an increase in doctors going to developed countries to gain their training. These doctors are leaving their homeland to study abroad, and then returning to their countries to aid in providing top quality medical care to fellow countrymen and medical tourists alike. When questioned, many are quick to agree that they could be making substantially higher wages in the developed countries, but their desire is to be in their homeland. Not all doctors have had international training, but that does not mean that they are not top quality doctors. Some of the finest medical schools are in countries such as India. When trying to decide which doctor to outsource medical needs to, a patient should use the same process as would be used at home. It is imperative that references are done and credentials are confirmed.

The Support Staff
Anyone who has had a medical procedure done knows that the post-operative stage is as important, and sometimes more so, than the actual procedure. In developed countries, there are plenty of documented cases of being discharged from a hospital too soon after a procedure, and having complications develop. Medical tourists report the opposite, to a large degree. Most tourists report that they were allowed to stay for a full recovery period, and that staff were very attentive. Many facilities have translators standing by who are fluent in every language. Again, taking the time to check the specific practices and staffing of the facility you are considering will save potential problems later on.

If you are overwhelmed with the thought of searching out the experts, there is help available. Just as there are travel agents available to aid a vacationer, there are now medical tourism travel agents available to handle the details for you. Whether you decide to research on your own or request the assistance of someone else, be sure that you invest the time before making a decision as to where to outsource your needs to.

Jay Siva is the author of the best seller book "The Complete Guide to Medical Tourism" where he reveals crucial information on how to successfully plan your medical trip abroad, find discount airfare, American-trained doctors, and internationally-accredited hospitals. You’ll find out such things as: how to pick your treatment destination, what you can expect to pay for specific surgical procedures, what to look for before choosing a hospital, what to ask your doctors, how to manage your travel and treatment costs and so much more.

Shopping for the Experts in the Field of Medical Tourism

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Shopping for the Experts in the Field of
Medical Tourism