Treat-Cations: A Guide To Medical Tourism
Have you been waiting impatiently for a certain treatment, even if it means depleting your holiday savings account? But is your patience being tested by the NHS’s never-ending waiting list or your private doctor? The safest alternative for you is medical tourism because it allows you to conveniently receive functional, restorative, or aesthetic care from internationally qualified medical professionals while on vacation. The best thing is that the treatment is economical without sacrificing the kind of care provided during and after treatment.
What Is Medical Tourism?
Travelling from one geographical region to another in quest of healthcare and medical services is known as medical tourism. The idea is not new; it has been around since the time of the ancient Greeks, but it has evolved significantly over time.
In the past, medical tourism referred to the practice of individuals from developing nations—such as those from the third world—travelling to industrialised nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe to receive high-quality medical care that is not readily available in their own country. The current trend, meanwhile, is for people from rich nations to travel to less developed and developing nations in quest of accessible, high-quality healthcare.
Dental and cosmetic procedures can entail high costs and are infrequently covered by health insurance. Travelling to another country means getting the same treatment at a fraction of the expense.
The Rise of Medical Tourism
The New York Times reported that because the poor and middle-class people worldwide have been devastated and for many of them, travelling to the less developed parts of the world is the only means of obtaining plausible medical treatment. Even the pandemic failed to stop medical tourism, and the market is growing at an unprecedented rate post-pandemic.
Patients are compelled to contemplate medical tourism due to the widespread mistrust people now have of the NHS due to the long waiting lists, longer lines, and declining care quality in the aftermath of the pandemic. According to Patient Beyond Borders data, the top medical tourism countries include Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Turkey, India, the Dominican Republic, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand. By 2026, the size of the worldwide medical tourism industry is anticipated to reach USD 179.6 billion, representing a 21.9% CAGR over the forecast period.
The Benefits of Medical Tourism
The key reasons for the rise of medical tourism are its advantages which include:
Affordable Care
According to Patients Without Borders, a patient often saves between 25 and 90% on medical treatments overseas, depending on the procedure, the facility they choose, and the geographic area of the treatment. The cheap cost of labour care and the low currency value of the destination nation contribute to the treatment’s cost-effectiveness.
No Waiting Lists
You can conveniently receive the necessary therapy as per your needs, demands, and convenience without having to place your name on any waiting lists or lines. It makes treatment more readily available to patients.
Quality Care
Large sums of money are needed to seek luxury treatment and care when considering the price of medical care in the industrialised world, particularly in the US and UK. Procedures related to dentistry, aesthetics, and cosmetics are insanely expensive. You can receive first-class medical care in the destination nation for a small amount of money. However, spending the same money back home would only entitle you to the most basic medical care.
Leisure Travel
Seeking medical care in your home country often mandates you to break your travel funds, but by opting for medical tourism, you can enjoy the best of both worlds and enjoy both aspects or a treat-cation. The notion of a pleasant getaway also diminishes the stress associated with travelling and seeking medical assistance, enabling you to feel physically and emotionally calm.
Is Medical Tourism Risky?
Medical tourism is a lucrative option, but it entails considerable risk, especially if you do everything independently. We have more than twice as many instances of medical tourism therapy going wrong for every positive encounter. Have you ever been the victim of travel scams where a hotel or apartment turns out to be completely different from the photographs in online advertisements? Online fraud is a fairly common occurrence, especially when travelling. What gives you the impression that medical tourism is any different?
You have a decent possibility of encountering medical professionals that are underqualified, understaffed, and working in substandard facilities or using subpar medical procedures, which could make you more susceptible to infections and other complications. The pre-and post-treatment evaluation and care are already dubious aspects of medical tourism. The linguistic barrier makes the situation worse. If you and the doctor cannot speak because of language barriers, how would you tell them what’s on your mind?
When you return home, you may be startled to hear that doctors and surgeons are reluctant to accept medical tourism patients, whether it be for aftercare or to correct a treatment that has gone wrong. Therefore, a thorough cost-benefit study of medical tourism is required.
How To Plan and Execute Medical Tourism?
If you want to have treatment outside of your home country, you must carefully consider all existing data, verify testimonials, look for success stories, talk with the local medical professionals about your concerns, set up pre- and post-treatment care in your home country, and plan your travel and logistics to avoid being exploited by scammers.
Pre-treatment anxiety is a defining feature of all such surgeries, whether medical or elective. The stress of choosing the best doctor and facility on top of travel concerns can have a catastrophic effect on a person’s physical and mental health. If you want to seek high-quality care without going through all the hassle, it is only logical to consider WeCure and invest in our medical tourism plans.
As a UK-based medical facilitation company that connects patients with accredited doctors, clinics, and hospitals in Turkey for treatments such as dental care, hair transplants, aesthetic treatments, and even mental health therapy, we ensure that you have the care, logistics and all other aspects covered so you can sit back and relax on the vacation while seeking top-notch care from our internationally accredited experts. You also don’t need to bother about pre- and post-treatment care because WeCure takes care of both aspects.
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Photo by Erik Odiin on Unsplash