WHO Rates Medical Tourism in Singapore
Singapore: A Leading Medical Tourism Hub
The tiny island nation of Singapore has emerged as an Asian medical tourism hub in the past decade. With an average of 200,000 patients arriving for treatment annually, its revenues from medical tourism stand at US $3 billion. The healthcare offered by this nation is the envy of Asia. Singapore prides itself on its 11 JCI accredited hospitals and world-class expertise in all fields of medicine.
Singaporean healthcare attained its zenith when its doctors successfully performed a 90-hour long operation to separate conjoined twins. It was an unprecedented procedure and effectively heralded Singapore as a leader in healthcare and medical tourism.
Three governmental agencies, the Economic Development Board, the Singapore Tourism Board, and the International Enterprise Singapore have pooled their efforts under the Singapore medicine banner to develop the island nation as one of the leading healthcare destinations in the region. It aims to make Singapore’s excellent healthcare facilities available to foreigners.
Singapore offers a wide spectrum of healthcare services covering every major field of medicine, but it specializes in cardiology, opthamology, oncology, and dental services. Stem cell transplant is a new but rapidly progressing branch of medicine here. The Hematology and Stem cell transplant center of Mt. Elizabeth Hospital has done pioneering work in the treatment of patients in advanced stages of cancer. The cost ranges from US $72,000 to $90,000, whereas the same treatment costs $235,000 in the U.S.
The Parkway Group of Hospitals leads the country in the field of medical travel. The Group’s three other hospitals (namely Mt. Elizabeth, Gleneagles, and East Shore) are the first Singapore hospitals to earn the ISO-9002 International Quality certification. The hospitals maintain an International Medical Reference Center (MRC) which is a call center with a 24-hour hotline for its international patients.
Medical Packages for Medical Travelers
The Singapore Tourism Board helps healthcare providers and travel agents provide comprehensive and economical medical packages for foreign patients. These medical packages include pick-up facilities from the airport, appointments with the concerned doctors, hospital stays, and recuperative facilities at a holiday resort, with sightseeing and shopping arrangements later. Medical packages are also available for diagnostics tests. Singapore has distinguished itself as a major medical destination with world class expertise belying its tiny size.
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