Best Countries for Medical Tourism

The concept of medical tourism has become a worldwide phenomenon and has been on a rapid increase. Every year, millions of people leave their countries for other countries to get healthcare services.  According to Patients Without Borders, every year, more than 10 million people leave their countries to get treatments in other countries.

Let’s see in general why medical tourism has become a global trend.

• High quality of facilities, doctors, treatments, and care not available in their countries.
• Affordable costs in other countries.
• Lesser waiting times.

Health tourism is no longer just about people leaving their countries because their countries can not offer them quality facilities, doctors, and treatments. Now, even residents in countries with high tech facilities, highly trained doctors, and topnotch treatments like the US and UK, leave these countries for countries where they can get such advantages at a lesser cost and waiting time.

Countries with the capacity of delivering exceptional treatments and procedures at reduced prices compared to that of the US and UK are now available. Countries that can deliver treatments at 30 to 80 percent less the amount our prominent countries will give you. 

These countries may be less popular compared to famous Western countries, but in the medical field, they are hot spots, gaining momentum, and having some of the best hospitals in the world with highly skilled doctors and impressionable facilities.

There are so many of these countries, but we will take a look at a few of them.

Top Medical Tourism Destinations

1. India

This country is one of the top go-to destinations for medical treatments. India offers you high-quality treatments and surgeries at inexpensive prices. Saving costs mostly between 55 to 90 percent of the Western countries.

Several Westerners come into the country every year for treatments in the fields of orthopedics, cardiology, oncology, fertility, and organ transplants. Their hospitals and facilities are just as known and well renowned around the world with professional and highly trained doctors. A total number of 28 JCI accredited hospitals have been recorded in India.

India has little or no record of waiting time. They attend to you as soon as you arrive and in the case of organ transplant, they dedicate their time in searching for organ donors with you, and immediately one is found and all conditions met, the transplant is done. There’s also the little barrier of language as they speak English too and for non-English speakers, they employ the service of an interpreter.

In ancient times, Indian medicine was considered one of the best health treatments, and even in recent times, they still incorporate their traditional healing practices like yoga, Ayurveda, naturopathy, medication, etc to bring all-around therapeutic recovery to their patients.

2. Thailand

Thailand has one of the highest numbers of JCI accredited hospitals standing at 42. Most of their facilities are well renowned and highly spoken of. Her capital, Bangkok, has become the world’s epicenter of health tourism, receiving over 2 million foreign patients in a year.

The country is a base of cosmetic surgeries, both restructuring and restorative, and other highly specialized treatments in fields of oncology, ophthalmology, cardiology, etc. These treatments come at very subsidized costs with savings of 50 to 75 percent. 

The country has attracted a lot of foreign patients from the Western part of the world, as their level of treatment, patient safety, hospital facilities, doctors’ qualifications, is by strict international standards. Also, there is a short waiting time as they accept foreign patients in the shortest time.

3. Malaysia

Malaysia is a medical tourism destination to be if you want cheap alternatives for fertility, burn, and cosmetic, orthopaedic treatments. They are also experts in traditional Chinese medicine. She is popular among her Asian countries for relatively inexpensive costs and yet quality facilities and healthcare. Mostly having a saving cost of 45 to 80 per cent compared to that of Western and European countries.

There are 11 JCI accredited hospitals with well trained medical practitioners. The Malaysian government is actively promoting her as a preferred destination for health tourism, with ease in getting her visa and affordable air travel for any medical tourist.

They are a friendly community, with amazing hospitality and services, having more than half a million foreign medical guests in a year. 

4. Turkey

Turkey is known for its well-renowned hospitals specially created for medical tourism. There are 32 JCI accredited hospitals and some of these hospitals have affiliations with high-standing world-leading US medical centres like John Hopkins Medicine, Harvard Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, etc.

The government has taken special attention in making the medical sector of the country exclusive and highly innovative encouraging foreign visits. The number of medical visitors is now over 700,000 a year and has a promise of being more than that in the coming years.

The country’s medical team is highly qualified and skilled, having training and experience from Western countries and well renowned medical professors. They are popular for their hair transplants, vision and dentistry treatments, organ transplants, reconstructive surgeries like rhinoplasty with a high success rate. Also, they treat orthopaedic, oncological, cardiac, neurological, ophthalmological diseases, among others.

Not only are Turkey’s treatment quality, but they are also inexpensive compared to the US and the UK. There’s a saving cost of 50 to 70 per cent. They offer an all-inclusive service, with accommodation, language, and aftercare assistance, making the patient feel safe and comfortable. Turkey has little or no waiting time for foreigners, they attend to them as quickly as they come.

5. Singapore

According to the World health Health Organization (WHO), this country ranks number 6 among countries with advanced health systems in the world. Singapore, located in the heart of Asia, is a country positioning itself as a medical destination with state of the art health facilities and well-trained specialists. There are 9 JCI accredited hospitals in Singapore.

The country has made many foreigners be a part of her excellent medical treatments especially in cardiology, haematology, oncology, neurology, stem cell therapy, and orthopaedics. They offer medical tourists easy access to visas and air travel. Their treatments are also of considerable cost, 20 to 45 per cent cheaper than those of the US.

6. Costa Rica

The government of Costa Rica has invested greatly in the health sector of the nation. The country located in South America is a home and holiday location for many Americans and this has served as a big incentive for private hospitals to open up and expand their operations with hi-tech facilities and experienced specialists.

The country is best known for cosmetic, bariatric, and dentistry treatments and surgeries with a saving cost of 40 to 60 per cent of the US cost. To aid recovery, Costa Rica offers places of ambience to enable their patients to recuperate.

7. Mexico

Mexico shares boundaries with America and is near Canada, no wonder it is one of the most visited countries for medical tourism. 

The country’s medical personnel and specialists are mostly trained in the US and are highly qualified. Their medical facilities are modern and of high quality. Some hospitals in the country are owned and ran by private hospitals in the US. There are 4 JCI accredited hospitals in Mexico.

Mexico specializes in cosmetic and dental treatments and surgeries and compared to the cost of these treatments in the US, a patient can save 45 to 70 per cent if carried out in Mexico.

8. South Korea

This country is one of the most technologically advanced medical countries in the world. Their innovative developments make their healthcare services one of the most effective in the world. Hospitals in South Korea are highly digitized with state of the art hi-tech facilities.

The country has a high speciality in cosmetic and spinal treatments and surgeries, dermatology, oncology, organ transplants, orthopaedics, etc. They have highly qualified and excellent specialists. 

South Korea has several 28 JCI accredited hospitals and records up to 700,000 medical visitors a year.

Even with the technological advancement of her medical facilities, South Korea’s treatments are still cheaper than that of the Western countries. There’s a saving rate of 30 to 50 per cent in comparison to US treatments.

9. Brazil

Brazil is the throne of the top medical destinations in the world for cosmetic treatments and surgeries. The country is the hub for all cosmetic, reconstructive, and plastic surgeries in the world. Brazilians delight in looking good and chic, hence, the country’s specific interest in healthcare services that focus on cosmetics.

A lot of Americans and other Westerners come into the country to get part of their bodies restructured and reconstructed. According to Patients Beyond Borders, around 200,000 foreigners visit Brazil for cosmetic surgeries every year. The country has most of the best cosmetic surgeons and medical centres and offers high-quality surgeries at inexpensive rates compared to other western countries. Patients save 40 to 60 per cent with treatments in Brazil than in the US.

10. Panama

If you are looking for ease in private travel arrangements and a great place to visit in general, then, Panama comes highly recommended as your medical destination. Panama hospitals have affiliation with major hospitals in America and they offer you excellent medical services and even personalized healthcare. They specialize in dental, spinal, cancer treatments and surgeries, and other related healthcare.

They offer you an almost identical medical care system to that of the US, with their certified and qualified experts, and medical equipment and technology, except that their cost is relatively cheaper. A saving rate of 30 to 50 per cent. 

Panama is one of the freest economies in the world and a well connected and developed country in the region, and yet, offers almost all nationalities a visa-free visit to her space for 180 days. This attracts more foreign medical visitors to the country every year.
Asides from these countries, there are many more with medical tourism potential and with cheaper rates compared to expensive Western countries. Countries like Dubai, Spain, Abu Dhabi, Czech Republic, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Isreal, Ukraine, Hungary, Indonesia, Taiwan, Colombia, etc. These countries are rapidly picking up and advancing in the medical sector and medical tourism generally.

For more information, contact us: [email protected] or www.anavara.com. Anavara is a medical facilitation and tourism agency with affiliation to various hospitals and surgeons in several health tourism countries. We can help you answer any questions you have