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Removing a cataract costs GBP 2,350 in a private hospital in the UK. The same operation costs 26 per cent less in Germany, France and Spain. In Cyprus it costs 49 per cent less. It is cheapest in Poland, where the operation costs 72 per cent less.
Your hip replacement costs GBP 8,000 in a private UK hospital. It costs 34 per cent less in Germany and 49 per cent less in Cyprus. A knee operation also costs 44 per cent less in Germany than in the UK. The high cost of healthcare in rich countries and the long waiting list for operations is pushing millions of people to seek care in far away countries. Even allowing for travel and accommodation costs, a new breed of traveller is growing rapidly. While general travel is predicted to increase by about four per cent this year, medical tourist visitors are expected to rise by 30 per cent.
Up until a few years ago, medical tourism was concentrated mainly in Asian countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and India. These countries attract 1.3 million medical tourists a year. But now European countries such as Hungary, Latvia, Estonia and Cyprus are working hard to penetrate this lucrative market, catering for a traveller whose daily budget is more than double that of other tourists. Each year, more countries in every continent join the list of medical tourist destinations.
So far Malta’s government has failed to create a national network of private hospitals and clinics, hotels, airlines and insurance companies, to work together and build this new tourism niche in our islands. The cost and quality of our healthcare are competitive, but we are not promoting ourselves properly in this market. So far our efforts at wresting a share of this growing medical tourism market have been sporadic and individualistic, with no strategic co-ordination from government with the private sector. Other countries are doing things differently, offering attractive and competitive packages. The BBC recently featured the success Hungary is experiencing in this market. Dr Bela Batorf, of the British Hungarian Medical Association, told the BBC: “Our prices are a third or less than English prices.” Of her trip to Budapest, Sue Smities said, “The only thing we had to pay for was the flight and overnight accommodation. The consultation, X-ray, and CT scan were all free.”
Hungary draws large numbers of patients from Western Europe and the US for high-quality cosmetic and dental procedures that cost half of what they would in Germany and America.
West Europeans travel to Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland for spa treatments as well as biomedical interventions. Both Budapest and Prague offer thermal springs and spa facilities, with treatments such as hydrotherapy and water massage, as well as aesthetic surgeries.
The BBC reported that the same factors that make healthcare in East Europe so appealing to patients, and a short vacation to recuperate from their surgery seem a good idea as well. The national airlines of East European countries all offer competitive airfares. Patients find a short stay enjoying Budapest, Prague, or Warsaw a good value, as they enjoy these cities’ many attractions.
Our future as a tourist destination depends on our ability to professionally market the different segments of special interest travel to Malta and Gozo. The kind of product we offer and our marketing is still geared too much as a destination for leisure travel. This still makes up 80 per cent of our market. We cannot abandon this leisure market overnight, but we must gradually and carefully decrease our dependence on this leisure market where we are less competitive than other countries. We have to plan and manage a transition where we build on the 20 per cent of our special interest travellers. We need to attract more people to Malta and Gozo for conferences and incentive travel, diving, language and sports. Our ability to survive and thrive as a tourist destination depends on our ability to realign our industry to offer what tourists want today when they travel.
Medical tourism should be a new segment that we must develop and cultivate. Medical tourism is here to stay, and healthcare tourism looks set for dramatic growth over the coming years as more people become aware of the advantages. The industry is growing so rapidly that more and more countries are offering greater choice healthcare tourism. The expectation is that the options for where medical tourists can choose to travel will continue to increase at a rapid rate, as healthcare facilities improve around the world. We must take all the necessary steps to take a share of this market.
evaristbartolo@hotmail.com |
