The Philippines: A New Force in Health Travel

The newest boom in the Philippines is the health travel industry, an industry that the government wholeheartedly welcomes. The Philippines is fast emerging as a choice in medical tourism especially since the country is able to offer affordable medical care, even for expensive procedures in areas like cosmetic surgery. In fact liposuction prices in the Philippines are among the lowest in the world.

Medical tourists the world over are keen to explore avenues to reduce their medical costs. The Philippines has excellent hospitals that provide quality medical care. Doctors in the country are well trained and capable of handling complex procedures. Cosmetic surgery in the Philippines is one of the most sought after procedures by tourists. A comparative study on costs of procedures shows that LASIK surgery would cost about $800.00 in the Philippines whereas in the US it starts around $2K and can go all the way up to $5K and higher.

The government is working hard to set up top-of-the-line medical facilities to perform complex procedures like heart valve replacements, knee replacements, and cosmetic surgery in the Philippines. This will give the country a competitive edge in pricing since it will be able to provide low costs and affordable care across the board including for liposuction prices, hip replacement technologies, and heart surgeries. Initial estimates show that the Philippines earned around US$ 200 million in its first year of medical tourism, and it plans on cashing in even more in the current year. So the next time you think about cosmetic surgery, the Philippines should be on top of your list, be it for a face lift, tummy tuck or liposuction. Prices in the Philippines are guaranteed to be low.

Source: "Philippines set to cash in on Medical Tourism Boom,” Balista Organization, November 12, 2006