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BY A CORRESPONDENT
February 19, 2007
Turkey is already doing well in the medical tourism
sector, with the country being a leading destination for
those seeking cosmetic surgery.
According to Dr Fred DeMicco of Delaware University, the
United States, an international consultant in the
medical tourism industry, Turkey is the top destination
for cosmetic surgery outside Latin America.
In Latin America, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico are the
leading countries for procedures such as facelifts,
liposuction, and implants.
Turkey also draws patients to its private facilities for
heart surgery, laser eye-surgery, and dental work, says
Dr Taner Özcan, coordinator of the Private Hospitals and
Medical Associations Organisation that represents up to
750 hospitals and health centres in Turkey.
Dr DeMicco has discussed with Turkey’s tourism officials
the policies to promote the country’s competitiveness as
a medical tourism destination. Laws, taxes and tariffs
are crucial, according to him.
To promote medical tourism, a country should make the
import of certain drugs cheaper and reduce duties on
imported medical equipment, he says.
Dr DeMicco also recommended tax breaks for those
hospitals, clinics and specialty centres that
specifically catered to foreigners. Such measures, or
credit deals for hospitals that are set up in
underdeveloped areas, could also boost the local
economy.
Medical tourists generally come from rich,
industrialised countries and are seeking healthcare at
costs much lower than at home.
Some medical tourists go to another country not just for
medical treatment; they will also be taking a kind of
holiday. Thus, a country’s cultural assets are also
important.
For example, India is very good at marketing its own
ayurvedic healthcare, a tradition other countries cannot
lay claim to. This aspect of health tourism is something
Turkey would do well to focus on, Dr DeMicco stresses.
The Mediterranean coast of Turkey and the spa culture
seem prime candidates for such a promotion.
However, there are many who are concerned over the
ethics of medical tourism, which caters only to the
rich. Much of tourism these days thrives on rich people
who want to travel and see what they want.
This ethical concern is countered by the argument that
the wealth generated by tourism sustains the lives of
many. Some countries, like the Maldives, are sustained
entirely by tourism.
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