Last November Dr. Shehbaz Butt along with several other physicians launched Canadian Healthcare International.  While Dr. Butt was not willing to participate in a phone interview, he was willing to answer a series of questions provided to him via email. What follows are excerpts of that email exchange.

Medical Travel Today (MTT):  In reading over your website, I'm a little confused on how you will be able to provide care for foreign patients when the current system can't address the needs of domestic patients in a timely manner. Can you explain how that will work?

Shehbaz Butt (SB): As physicians, working within the healthcare system, we are able to see availabilities within the system and utilize these. Physicians will utilize their personal time to see these patients and procedures will be uniquely scheduled in private facilities and in public facilities with capacity.

MTT:  On your website you state that you will "unlock the unattainable foreign healthcare system to foreign patients while giving back to their own overburdened Canadian hospitals." How exactly will you be "giving back"?

SB:  Facilities working with CHI patients will receive international fee payment for the services rendered. These fees will add new revenue for the facility, to be used where they need it.  The program will also create a route for patients to access the expertise of Canadian physicians -- physicians previously out of reach.

MTT:  How challenging was it to develop this relationship with the OHIP? How closely will they be monitoring your operations?

SB:  This is not a relationship with the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), the government-run and -funded plan for Ontario residents, as our program services non-Canadian patients. But, it is important to note that there is no negative impact on OHIP patients as our patients will be scheduled without impacting local patients.

MTT:  Can you provide some specifics on how your pricing compares to American pricing?

SB:  Our care plans are personalized for each patient depending on their specific medical and personal needs. That said, by operating in Canada, CHI is able to offer comparable (if not better) care to our patients at rates 30 – 60 percent less than American rates. For example, a total hip replacement in the U.S. costs approximately $45,000 (USD), while in India it would cost $8,000, in Thailand $12,000 and in Canada with CHI it would cost $13,000. Most people know Canada has great healthcare, but do not know how affordable it is.

MTT:  Can Canadian patients access your services if they are willing to cover the cost out-of-pocket?

SB:  CHI wants to protect the Canadian universal healthcare system.  Our primary services are for international patients seeking care in Canada.  However, due to a rise in interest in medical tourism from Canadians, CHI will also assist Canadian patients by facilitating their elective medical care outside of Canada.

MTT:  How have Canadian citizens and other providers responded to your business proposition?

SB:  Although our initiatives are approached with cautious curiosity, once informed of the business model and our vision they are unanimously enthusiastic.  We plan to provide the international community with affordable high quality healthcare and at the same time infuse new revenues into our own healthcare system that is in desperate need of additional funding.  

MTT:  How do you anticipate your approach could influence the delivery of care in other provinces?

SB:  CHI does not want to change the existing provision of healthcare, but instead intends to show that participation in the medical tourism industry can generate a new revenue stream to support our cherished public system.  
 
About Dr. Shehbaz Butt, Executive Director
Dr. Shehbaz Butt is a staff anesthesiologist and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He is the former President of the Medical Staff Association of his base hospital and has also worked at a number of Toronto area hospitals. He has traveled overseas with a group providing surgical care to third world patients and continues to support various health and medical aid foundations.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Satori World Medical Introduces New Global Health Network That Provides America's Workforce With High Quality Healthcare and Dramatic Cost Savings

SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 01/15/09 -- Satori World Medical, a new global healthcare company specializing in the emerging multi-billion dollar medical tourism industry, announced the launch of its payer-supported, employer-sponsored and consumer-choice global health network.

With this innovative program, U.S. employers, financial sponsors, insurers, and employees can receive enormous cost savings on their healthcare expenses, and for the first time the employee also receives a portion of the savings by selecting the Satori Global Network(TM) for their medical procedure.

Through its international network of highly trained and specialized doctors and accredited state-of-the-art hospitals, Satori World Medical provides a comprehensive and integrated medical benefit program that reduces the costs of selected surgical procedures up to 50 percent. The savings generated are shared with all stakeholders while a portion of the savings is deposited for the employee in a tax-advantaged Health Reimbursement Account (HRA). This medical benefit can be added to any benefit plan design at no cost to the employer or health plan.

"Our proprietary Business and Care Model dramatically reduces healthcare expenses and helps companies compete in the global marketplace," states Satori World Medical's President & CEO, Steven Lash. "The program is driven off of the consumer making an informed decision as to where to receive their healthcare based on quality and financial benefit."

Satori's Global Network is comprised of the highest-quality hospitals and doctors around the world. Under the direction of its Chief Medical Officer, Ron Johnson, M.D., F.A.C.S., and Medical Quality Advisory Board, Satori's Quality Assurance(TM) program focuses on ensuring the absolute best quality medical care, safety and personalized experience for every patient. All services are provided by U.S./U.K. or equivalently trained and Board Certified physicians in Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited hospitals. JCI is the international arm of the U.S. accreditor of hospitals.

• Cost Savings for Everyone: Satori World Medical has established an all-inclusive pricing model that includes airfare (for the patient and a companion), hotel, doctor and hospital fees, personal accident insurance and all administrative services that delivers up to 50 percent of savings when compared to the same procedure performed domestically.
• Superior Quality and Safety: Satori World Medical is the only company to offer coordinated concierge medical travel services for all patients by a team of dedicated Nurse Patient Advocates who are surgically trained Registered Nurses, as well as Travel Care Coordinators specifically trained in the hospitality field.
• Seamless Integration with other Healthcare Benefit Programs: This program is specifically designed to be easily added into any existing employer-sponsored health benefit program, and can also be offered by any insurance company as an added benefit for its members.
• One Stop Shop: The program provides the complete medical and travel service package. Satori World Medical provides everything that is required to ensure an excellent experience. One call is all it takes.

About Satori World Medical
Satori World Medical is a payer-supported, employer-sponsored, consumer choice global healthcare network that provides all stakeholders with world-class quality healthcare, excellent service, and significant financial benefit. Satori World Medical is a leader in the globalization of healthcare services through its innovative, patent-pending Business and Care model, the Health & Shared Wealth Program(TM), which provides consumer choice for quality medical travel. For more information about Satori World Medical, please call +1 (619) 704-2000 or visit the company's Web site http://www.satoriworldmedical.com.

Change Begins at Home: Government Health Care Programs May Consider Medical Travel to Save Money, Enhance Quality

DENVER, Co. – January 22, 2009 –  Medical travel provides a unique opportunity for the U.  S.  Medicare and Medicaid programs to lower health care costs, especially during an economic downturn, suggests BridgeHealth International, Inc. (www.BridgeHealthInternational.com), the premier provider of medical travel services aimed at guiding health plans, insurance carriers, employers, third party administrators, individuals accessing benefits via voluntary benefits plans, health and affinity card programs or Consumer Directed Health Care Plans (CDHP), and individual consumers seeking medical travel options.   

“Medicare recipients living abroad already access care at international hospitals and those living in the United States also deserve these opportunities, with the same access to high quality, cost effective care,” says Victor Lazzaro, Jr., CEO of BridgeHealth.  “This viable opportunity should extend to Medicaid beneficiaries within the U.S. because the pressures to reduce costs are great, especially in this current economic crisis, and quality shouldn’t be sacrificed.”

BridgeHealth International already facilitates similar programs with the U. K.’s National Health Service (NHS) for its members to travel within the European Union for care.  Since its launch 60 years ago, the NHS has grown to become the world’s largest publicly funded health service. It is also one of the most efficient and comprehensive models, with the philosophy that good health care should be universal, regardless of wealth. The NHS is free at the point of use for more than 60 million U.K. residents. It covers everything from prenatal screening and routine treatments for coughs and colds to open heart surgery, accident and emergency treatment, and end-of-life care.

 “BridgeHealth International coordinates travel within the European Union for people covered by the National Health Service,” Lazzaro concludes.  “If similarly replicated within the United States, medical travel programs for Medicaid and Medicare recipients will significantly enhance quality, accessibility and cost savings. Change begins at home.”

About BridgeHealth International, Inc.
BridgeHealth International, Inc. (BridgeHealth) is the premier service provider in the burgeoning medical travel industry, founded with a vision “to create a trusted bridge to the world of international healthcare.” BridgeHealth serves health plans, insurance carriers, employers, third party administrators, individuals accessing benefits via voluntary benefits plans, health and affinity card programs or Consumer Directed Health Care Plans (CDHP), and individual consumers seeking medical travel options.  Visit www.bridgehealthinternational.com.

Companion Global Healthcare Awarded for Outstanding Web Site

Columbia, S.C. – Medical travel company Companion Global Healthcare Inc., which helps self-insured employers and individuals access lower-cost healthcare at accredited hospitals outside the United States, has been honored for providing useful information and outstanding customer service through its Web site,
www.CompanionGlobalHealthcare.com.

The Columbia-based company received second-place honors in the “Best Website for International Medical Travel” category during the prestigious 2008 Consumer Health World Awards, presented in Washington, D.C.

Consumer Health World, which produces healthcare-related conferences and trade shows, created the awards to recognize excellence and advancement in service, products and programs that enhance consumers’ abilities to manage their health care expenditures and improve health care quality.

More than 20 health care industry professionals judged the award entries. In evaluating Companion Global Healthcare’s site, judges noted the “PushCall” feature, which allows clients to click a button to initiate voice contact with a Companion Global Healthcare representative 24 hours a day.

“We provide round-trip customer service so our clients can focus on their health,” said David Boucher, Companion Global Healthcare’s president. “We take care of flight arrangements, ground transportation, transferring medical records, and more.”

The Web site includes information about Companion Global Healthcare’s network hospitals and dental clinics around the world, as well as cost estimates for various procedures.

All network hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), and all have completed Companion Global Healthcare’s extensive credentialing process. The hospitals’ fees are up to 90 percent less than those typically charged by U.S. facilities.

About Companion Global Healthcare
Companion Global Healthcare Inc., headquartered in Columbia, S.C., provides assistance to clients who travel to its network hospitals, serving as a single launch point for appointments, travel arrangements, case management, medical travel insurance, follow-up care in the United States, and help with claims filing. The company serves uninsured and underinsured individuals, as well as employers and insurance companies that have included the Companion Global Healthcare network in their benefit plans.


Violence Overseas Keeps Some Medical Tourists at Home
Reprinted with permission. Workforce Management, January 13, 2009. Copyright Crain Communications, Inc.
 
Terrorists attacks in India.
Hamas rockets in Israel.
Kidnappings in Mexico.

Not the kinds of headlines that help sell risk-averse employers on the idea of sending employees abroad for medical care. The threat of violence is one reason few employers have signed up with companies that offer low-cost medical care at foreign hospitals and even fewer are sending employees overseas, medical tourism operators say.

Despite cost savings in elective surgeries such as hip replacements, employers remain concerned about liabilities—medical and otherwise—related to receiving healthcare overseas.

One medical tourism company, Calabasas, California-based Planet Hospital, has signed up five employers. But after the November terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Planet Hospital’s employer clients said they wanted to cross India off their list. What started out as interest in medical tourism has yet to translate into sending employees abroad.

“They sign up but they don’t execute,” said Planet Hospital founder Rudy Rupak. “The employer says, ‘We’re not going to do this until we’re absolutely protected against malpractice.’ But you’re not going to get absolute protection even in America. If a person wants to sue, they’re going to sue.”

The company has for months been working on providing liability insurance to employers against being sued by employees who experience medical complications. Rupak said Los Angeles-based clothing retailer, American Apparel, recently signed up for the service,  but is restricting its options to Mexico, in light of a recent string of high-profile kidnappings in the country.

“Employers, though, are often more concerned than employees about safety risks,” said Tom Keesling, president of Indus Health, a Raleigh, North Carolina-based medical tourism company focused on India.

“While we might say an employer may be hesitant because of worldwide unrest, we know that when employees are asked to assess that risk themselves we know they want to go,” Keesling said.

That’s because often the incentive for individuals is cost. In the U.S., a hip-replacement surgery can cost $30,000 to $40,000 for uninsured patients, according to BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, compared with about $9,000 in India and $12,000 in Singapore.

But unless employees are uninsured or underinsured—that is, they have high out-of-pocket costs associated with surgeries—there is no financial incentive steering them overseas for care.

In 2007, some 750,000 Americans traveled abroad for care, according to estimates by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, which is part of the Deloitte audit and advisory firm. Most were uninsured or underinsured individuals. A few were employees whose firms gave them an incentive to go.

Keesling said he has one corporate customer that has sent 15 employees overseas for care. The client did not want to be named because of a backlash that occurred against Blue Ridge Paper, a North Carolina company whose efforts to send an employee abroad for care created a public uproar.

Still, Keesling noted that during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November, he had four clients in India. “While everyone else worried, the patients, who were far away at a hospital in Bangalore, were not concerned,”  Keesling said.

He said subsequent trips to India were not canceled.

“Patients knew about what was going on in India, but there wasn’t enough concern to cancel flights,” Keesling said. “Nobody canceled.”

Russell Bigler, CEO of the Self Insured Schools of California, which manages benefits for public school districts in Central California’s Kern County, said he had considered medical tourism but decided against it.

Though he had been in Thailand this fall when the airport was shut down by anti-government protesters, his decision had nothing to do with global instability. Benefit design is why his 250,000 members do not have the option to go overseas. Teachers and other beneficiaries of the heath plan do not have the high out-of-pocket costs that would make surgery outside the U.S. worthwhile.

“The deductibles, the co-insurance [are] not big enough to warrant something like that,” he said. “It’s for a company that’s self-insured that has $5,000 deductibles.”

Doctors group sees problems in importing foreign doctors
The Nation.
Published on January 16, 2009

The Medical Council of Thailand has opposed the Public Health Minister's plan to import foreign doctors to push Thailand's growth as a hub for quality medical services, said council secretary general, Dr Somsak Lohlekha yesterday.

"We agree with the public health minister on this policy as it could bring a lot money to the country - but we are concerned over the quality of foreign doctors, particularly from developing countries," he said.

Public Health Minister, Witthaya Kaewparadai vowed on Monday to continue the medical hub policy by bringing foreign doctors to work in private hospitals, to turn Thailand into a regional medical hub and lift tourism and the economy.

The medical hub project, initiated in 2003 by Thaksin Shinawatra's government, included three medical service facets : sickness prevention, spa services and Thai massage. It also promoted Thai herbal medicine products.

A public health ministry study estimates these projects have generated Bt200 billion over the past five years from medical services to millions of foreign patients who have come to Thailand for the lower cost medical treatments available here.

The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) predicts that if Thailand were to become a medical hub, its annual income from this industry could soar to Bt110 billion by 2012.

The centre estimated that last year alone, Thailand earned up to Bt52 billion from foreign patients, and Bt13 billion from accommodation and travel.

Viroj Na Ranong, director with the Economic Public Health and Agriculture Research Unit, said medical tourism could initially account for 0.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Witthaya said he had assigned the medical council to amend its regulations to issue special medical licences to foreign doctors, allowing them to work in private hospitals.
Somsak opposed the plan, saying foreign doctors in private hospitals could generate problems for medical services in the country, especially language difficulties between patient and doctor.

The council also opposed a proposal raised by TDRI asking the medical council to provide licence examinations in English to foreign doctors wanting to work here.

Somsak said medical councils worldwide use their own languages for medical licence tests. "This issue is very important. If they provide medical services to patients without understanding Thai, many problems would arise in the future," he said.

He added that few foreign doctors from developed countries would be interested in coming here as their salaries would be lower than at home.

Many health experts are concerned the medical hub policy would drain doctors from state to private hospitals. Somsak said the system should be blamed for forcing 30,000 doctors to serve in their own areas with no financial incentive to attract doctors to work with the ministry.

Currently, private hospitals have enough doctors - most of them graduates from universities abroad- to provide healthcare services for their patients. If they were to resign from the local private hospitals, many would return overseas to better salaries rather than work with the government, he added.

"The impact of a medical hub policy and the brain drain of doctors from rural hospitals to private hospitals are not related," he said.

Somsak said the government should not collect tax from foreign patients if it wants to continue this hub policy. He reasoned that private hospitals, at present, pay 30 per cent of their revenue to the government in taxes.

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DESTINATION

Robin Elsham is busy preparing for a trip to East Asia. We look forward to his upcoming first-hand reports from South Korea. In the meantime, you may access previous stories at the following links.

• Guatemala
• New Zealand
• Monterrey
• Panama
• Philippines
• Malaysia
• Changes in air travel certain to cause major changes in medical tourism industry
• Inflation's Threat to Medical Tourism
• Adopting a Global Perspective

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MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT: Spinal Fusion

It's said that Abe Lincoln was known for his incredible memory, especially when it came to remembering people. Turns out that one of the most common questions the wise Abe asked when re-meeting people was, "How's your back?" Given that most of the population then and now suffers from some sort of back pain, it was an extremely safe question to ask and elicit a sense of familiarity. Unfortunately for the population of the time, a response of "Oh, I'm fine thanks to spinal fusion surgery" was not a possible (or even conceivable) answer.

But today's suffers of back pain, most typically in the lumbar region, can avail themselves to spinal fusion when other more conservative treatments fail to provide relief.

A spine fusion is a surgery performed to link together individual segments, or vertebrae, within the spine. The space between each of the vertebrae is occupied by a soft cushion called a disc. The disc spaces allow the vertebrae to bend slightly, allowing people to bend forward and arch backwards.

When there is a problem with the vertebrae, or the disc space, a doctor may recommend spine fusion surgery to eliminate the motion that occurs within that specific portion of the spine and do away with the source of your back problem.

Some of the conditions for which spinal fusion may be recommended include:

• Herniated or slipped disc
• Scoliosis
• Kyphosis
• Vertebral fracture
• Degenerative disc disease
• A weak or unstable spine due to spinal tumors or infection

Depending on the exact procedure and technique being used, spinal fusion surgery typically takes between two to 12 hours. The actual fusion requires a small piece of bone to fill the space between two vertebrae. Bone may be sourced from your own body, most often extracted from the pelvis bone, or may come from a donor. In some procedures, the disk actually needs to be removed prior to fusion. Fusion itself is achieved using wires, screws, plates, rods or metal cages.

Depending upon the extent of the procedure and the overall health and condition of the patient, recovery can take 5 to 15 days.

According to Sonny Krishana of Med Journeys, the number of people traveling for spinal fusion procedures is rising. "Spinal fusions is one the most popular procedures we arrange," say Krishana. "We arrange over 100 procedures of this type per year."

Krishana adds that the while cost is one factor sending consumers abroad for surgery, there are other considerations.

Procedure	US Cost	India	Thailand	Singapore
Spinal Fusion	$62,000	$5,500	$7,000	$9,000

(Source: American Medical Association, June 2007)

"The biggest concern people have with spinal fusion in the US is cost along with accessibility or availability of surgeons.  A key to our success has been our solid partnerships with hospitals that have been certified by the Joint Commission International (JCI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)," says Krishana.

Krishana cites India, Thailand, and Costa Rica as the most popular destinations for the procedure. He notes this is due "first and foremost, to the credentials and experience of the surgeons…we find that while we must provide the client with a number of options on destinations these locations tend to consistently be the front-runners for those needing high-quality, affordable spinal fusion."

Is there a topic you'd like to see covered in our MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT? Please let us know. Send your thoughts to ahaar@cpronline.com

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Surrogacy in India - ISO Certified ART Clinic Expert Invited to the USA
Medical Tourism Corporation, the leading facilitator of low cost medical travel abroad, will host a seminar on 'Surrogacy in India' in Dallas, on January 28, 2009.
The seminar presents a unique opportunity to individuals desiring surrogacy services in India of interacting one-on-one with one of the world's leading authorities on surrogacy and infertility: Dr Gautam Allahbadia.

Dr Allahbadia heads the leading fertility clinic in India and is the Vice-President of the World Association of Reproductive Medicine. He is also on the drafting committee of the upcoming surrogacy legislation in India and has authored over 120 scientific papers in Indian and international peer-reviewed journals, 60 book chapters, and 13 textbooks.

Dr Allahbadia has this to say about the surrogacy program he runs in India: "From 2005 till date, we have had numerous deliveries and we haven't had a single problem - medical or medico-legal. The program is growing well. Annually we have a surrogacy success rate of about 50% when we consider that we have patients who are women aged 38 or 39 who require surrogate mothers for bearing children. With young and healthy donors, we have 60% success rate."

The topics that will be covered in the meeting are: an overview of gestational surrogacy in India, what to expect from surrogacy programs in India, how to plan for it, and, a review of case studies of successful surrogacy of American clients in the past, legal issues, cost, and frequently asked questions.

Surrogacy in India routinely attracts intending parents from across the globe, thanks to the highly experienced and skilled doctors and medical staff (who also speak English very fluently), friendly attitude towards surrogacy adopted by the Indian government, the largely non-litigious nature of Indian society and most important the cost that is about one fourth of that in the USA.

Indian Parliament will soon enact a law on surrogacy to regulate all aspects related to it (currently, surrogacy programs in India are run along the guidelines drawn by the Indian Council of Medical Research.- ICMR). The surrogacy law will lay down comprehensive guidelines on the processes to be followed by ART clinics in India, eligibility of intending parents for surrogacy, parental rights, and the like.

India clinics also has a successful and anonymous donor egg IVF program that helps infertile women, and gay and single men to experience the joys of parenthood. Medical Tourism Corporation's partner clinic in India has high rates of success in surrogacy both with donor and non-donor eggs. Not all fertility clinics in India are as transparent or as meticulous in their documentation. A clinic's success rates often help intending parents to make the decision.

"Our partner clinic is ISO-certified and takes care of all procedures related to surrogacy under one roof. ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization Certification and indicates an organization that has thoroughly document its processes and adheres to a strict audit requirements."

"Also, our clinic has many satisfied patients from the heterosexual, same sex, and single parent category." All patients, who are medically fit for surrogacy, are accepted into the program. The intending parents need to show a letter from their reproductive endocrinologist in their home country indicating that they cannot carry the baby to term. We do not discriminate among our patients based on their sexual orientation or marital status.

Dr Kaushal Kadam, director of oocyte donation from our partner clinic, says, "We extensively screen egg donors and surrogates for infectious diseases and any family history of diseases. And the results of such screening are made available to the intended parents."

She adds, "Regular updates are given to the parents about the progress of the surrogate and their baby. Utmost care is taken of the surrogate so that the parents can rest assured that the baby is in good hands. A large majority of our patients come from the US and UK. We have surrogacy clients from more than 10 countries."

Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates each step along the intended parent(s)' surrogacy journey to parenthood, so that there are no surprises in the process. This includes arranging affordable travel, hotels, expediting efficient and quick communication with the doctors, and helping with numerous frequently asked questions related to surrogacy in India.

Intending parents may have many questions like how will the baby's name appear on the birth certificate, what is the process to get a passport for the baby (countries have different rules for granting citizenship to babies born out of surrogacy), will a genetic test be done to prove that they are the genetic parents, how long will it take after the delivery to bring the baby back home, etc.  These and more questions need to be answered before they make up their minds. The seminar in Dallas is a good opportunity for individuals desiring surrogacy in India to get information first-hand from one of the most outstanding fertility experts in the world.

Asia’s Biggest Landmark Healthcare Congress – Global Health Conference (GHC) 2009—Announces Its Agenda

Disease management will directly impact the future models of care. But what shape and form these models will take is of question. Will we see more of specialized hospitals? If so, where will they be located? How will innovative ‘disruptive’ technologies help the future healthcare cities and hospitals cater to and deal directly with new disease management?

The future of health care delivery lies mostly in disease-based intervention programs. The health care cities and hospitals of the future will greatly benefit from a clearer understanding of how to effectively integrate disease management into future facilities and core competencies to be built.

Another contributing factor that will shape future care models is the growing number of highly valued patients globally – many of whom are crossing international borders in search of quality care and access.  How should hospitals convert their centers of excellence to cater to this growing sector? How can they adequately build capacity and expertise to ensure they are able to meet new and growing demands?

Leaders in global healthcare will be tackling these issues head-on at Asia’s biggest landmark healthcare congress, Global Health Conference (GHC) 2009, which will feature two co-located events, “Healthcare Cities & Hospitals of the Future” and “Crossing International Borders” (February 23-26, 2009, Singapore).

For more information on the event, please visit www.magenta-global.com.sg/healthcare or kindly contact:
Attn: Ms Catherina Koh
Conference Director
Magenta Global Pte Ltd
DID: (65) 6391 2539
Email: catherina.koh@magenta-global.com.sg with subject code “GHC-MTT”

For media inquiries, please contact:
Nathalie Visele
Director
Shamal Marketing Communications
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel.: +9715 04576525
E-mail: nathalie@theshamalgroup.com

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau to Sponsor the 2009 World Medical Health Tourism Conference in Phuket

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is set to sponsor the World Medical Health Tourism Conference: A New Way Forward, which will be held in Phuket, Thailand, September 2009.

TCEB’s participation and sponsorship in this internationally diverse networking event will aim to promote Thailand on an international scale as a medical tourism destination and a preferred venue for international meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition (MICE) events.

The whole of Phuket Island is getting behind the conference, which will cater to more than 1,200 delegates. Local supporters range from local community groups, tourism operators, and many of the major hoteliers and resort owners, namely Woraburi Phuket Resort, Millennium Resort Patong, The Moevenpick Resort, Karon Beach Resort of Kata Group, Aquamarine Resort, Cape Panwa Hotel, and Andaman Seaview Hotel group.

Phuket, dubbed as the medical tourism hub in Asia, is the ideal location to hold the conference because of its infrastructure, capacity to host a massive number of international guests, and the availability of cutting-edge technology and internationally trained medical experts manning their world-class medical facilities.

Sometime within the next month the floor plan or layout for exhibitors at the venue, Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, will be published online and application forms will be available for the exhibitors to download from the Web site. Many pre-conference and post-conference activities have been planned for the conference, which early estimates expect to bring a windfall to Phuket of about U.S. $10 million over the two-week period. Interested parties are advised to visit the conference website: www.sosmedicaltourism.com for more information.

Alternatively, for more information call + (66)76-289-800, to request a printable registration brochure by email sosmedical@sosmedicaltourism.com or sosmedical@ymail.com

Date Set for Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress in Dubai: October 27-29, 2009

With the healthcare travel industry poised to play an important part in Dubai's growth strategy, the Institute for International Research (IIR) Middle East, the organizers of the first medical tourism conference in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which concluded in Dubai, recently have reported high levels of interest from a potentially huge international market.
"Research unveiled at the event indicated a global market of around two million medical travelers a year and an industry constrained by hospital capacity and lack of consumer familiarity with medical travel," says Sietske Meerloo, marketing manager at IIR Middle East and organizer of Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress.

IIR Middle East is also the organizer of the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, the region's premier event for Middle East healthcare that takes place in Dubai 27-29, October, 2009.

“Large numbers of hospitals and clinics around the world are attempting to tailor their health services to cater to medical tourists," Meerloo added. "Several major insurance companies offer a travel component in their policies, and governments are looking closely at policies to take account of the trend."

The healthcare event was officially opened by Haidar Al Yousuf, M.D., transition director at the Dubai Health Authority, who highlighted the importance the Authority is placing on the future of medical tourism. 

"As we look to develop our domestic health strategy, we also want to develop a joint strategy with our colleagues in the Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM), for the future of health tourism in Dubai," says Dr. Al Yousuf. "The healthcare sector in Dubai will become an increasingly attractive place for international health care investors, providers, services, facilities, and other health care professionals."

PlanetHospital, a California-based leader in medical tourism, used the event as a platform to announce the official opening of its Jeddah Saudi Arabia office to serve inbound and outbound medical tourists from the Arabian Gulf region.

"The Gulf has the potential to drive growth in medical tourism," says Mohammed Alarifi, managing director for the new operation.  "It is not only a destination from where patients seek medical care abroad but is also becoming a medical tourism destination itself thanks to major hospital developments throughout the region."

The American Hospital Dubai also had high visibility at the event. There was "a lot of exchange of experience among colleagues from around the world," says Naser Saleh, director of marketing and sales. “On the conference side, the sessions were very informative."

Gary Miller, CEO of Health Travel TV, says the event had been important for them. "We have a unique product, and we’re the only broadcast media here dedicated to this area. I’m coming back to Arab Health in January."

Organized in association with the International Medical Travel Association, the Healthcare Travel Exhibition and Congress was supported by the UAE Ministry of Health and the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi. Platinum sponsors were Singapore Medicine. Gold sponsors were the American Hospital Dubai and Dubai Health Authority.
For details about Arab Health events, please visit: www.arabhealthonline.com