The Philippines’ Nationwide Medical Travel Campaign

Rising Costs: A Major Problem in Health Care

Rising costs are becoming a major problem in health care in developed countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom.  Very often, people in these countries have no other alternative than to visit medical travel destinations in Asia for health care treatment.

The Philippines Is Gearing Up to Promote Medical Travel  
Filipino President, Gloria Arroyo is trying to position the Philippines as the world leader in medical tourism. She has initiated a nationwide campaign to promote medical travel aimed at generating job opportunities and earning more revenue for the government. She has devised a strategy to involve both public and private sectors to help in improving the quality of health services and to bring down the costs of local medical services.  This approach, the government believes, will encourage more people from the countries where rising costs have become a major problem in health care to visit facilities in the Philippines, because of their well recognized competency in providing health care of world class standards.

Best Hospitals for Heart Care in the Philippines.

The Philippines has some of the world’s best hospitals for heart care according to a growing number of medical tourists who flock there for sophisticated procedures. The President has directed the government to help these hospitals gear up and take on these newer challenges by adopting drastic medical travel oriented measures.  The government has also announced plans to transform the best hospitals in the Philippines for heart care into five star hotels.  Plans are in full swing to develop the hot spring baths in the Laguna province into international class spa salons.  There is also a special resident retiree visa program under development that would allow foreigners to live, work, or do business in the Philippines.

Source: “Arroyo orders all-out campaign for medical tourism nationwide,” Daily Mirror, November 20, 2006