Medical Value Travel to South Africa: Surgeons and Safaris

Safari and Medical Value Travel

South Africa has always been associated with safaris and travel has traditionally focused on enjoying the country’s pristine nature.  But these days, conventional vacations are being combined with hospital procedures in South Africa’s hottest new industry, medical value travel.  “Safari and surgery” seems to be the current mantra with large numbers of patients from around the world flocking to South Africa for a chance to see wildlife, get a face lift, and recuperate in luxury.  Medical value travel is obviously here to stay.

Plastic Surgery Financing

Plastic surgery financing is essential for the average American considering the procedure, no matter where the surgery is going to be done.  Plastic surgery financing is easier for people with good credit histories and steady incomes, but even still, it can set a person back substantially.  And in most cases, insurance companies won’t cover plastic surgery because it’s considered elective and non-essential.  As such, patients in the US might consider receiving plastic surgery financing in destinations like South Africa where labor costs are substantially cheaper.

Cheaper Liposuction Prices

Liposuction and lions are an odd combination, but the cheaper prices available in South Africa make the marriage work.  The amount a patient would have to pay for a liposuction procedure in the US, for example, could cover the costs of surgery, airfare, and luxury accommodations in a destination like South Africa.  These lower costs, however, don’t mean you have to sacrifice the quality of treatment received.  After all, South Africa was the first country to perform a successful heart transplant.  Their technology and facilities can rival almost anything one might find in the UK or the States.

Source: “Medical Tourists Flock to South Africa,” Business Africa online, November 14, 2006