Medical tourism poised for growth in Middle East

Unlike other tourism sectors, medical tourism has grown during the economic downturn as countries around the world have struggled to control health care costs and ensure medical procedures are available when needed, said Dr Prem Jagyasi, a medical tourism consultant and CEO of ExHealth in Dubai Healthcare City.

'Healthcare in the developed world is in serious crisis, and each country has a different problem,' he noted. 'For example, in the US, there are 50 million people uninsured, 250 million underinsured, and 150 million without dental insurance. So if they need medical services they cannot go to the local hospital because of the high cost.'

But cost is just one of just several factors driving growth in the industry. In countries such as Canada and the UK, a major complaint is not the price but the wait times for many elective procedures. 'In some cases you need to wait three-to-six months for a surgical procedure, and sometimes even a consultation takes two-to-three months,' he noted.

Another key driver is the availability of certain medical procedures, which is a problem in underdeveloped countries and some Middle East states.

These factors have helped boost the value of the medical tourism industry to about $50bn a year, with over 50 countries actively seeking a slice of the pie.

Growth opportunity

The rise of medical tourism provides an opportunity for the Middle East, which so far has made few inroads in the sector. 'Until a few years ago, a top priority for medical providers around the world was to attract medical tourists from the Middle East,' Jagyasi told AMEinfo.com. 'Now the trend has reversed as the Middle East is seeking to attract medical tourists from places such as the US and Europe where the cost of health care and delays in getting treatment have risen sharply.'

Around 20% of people in the UAE used to visit the US prior to 9/11 for medical treatment, but now that has decreased to less than 5%, he noted. Instead, locals from the UAE and other countries in the region are going to Singapore, India, and Malaysia for medical procedures.

Many hospitals in these countries have received international accreditation, which gives tourists some assurance that these facilities are high quality. 'This is lacking in the Middle East,' he noted.

The lack of trust in the quality of care in the Gulf is evidenced by the fact that large numbers of locals travel outside the region for medical services, including simple check-ups.

Key considerations

However, the Middle East still has a good opportunity to capture a larger slice of the international market, but to do so it needs to recognize the most critical factors that medical tourists consider in choosing a medical tourism destination, Jagyasi said.

The first is the quality of care offered at the destination, and the Middle East is making headway in this area through its development of GCC-wide medical accreditation standards.

The second is the perception of the destination, including safety or quality of facilities and infrastructure. In this regard the GCC is also making strides through its investment in its medical facilities, while crime the region is perceived to be relatively low.

The final consideration is whether the destination offers leisure or cultural attractions, as medical tourists will often combine medical and leisure tourism. Again, the Middle East can compete in this category with its rich cultural heritage and high-quality resorts.

Looking ahead, the Middle East should initially focus on capturing medical tourists from within the region, which is a huge market and perhaps the easiest to attract because of the shared cultural beliefs, Jagyasi said.

The region also must establish legal protections and guidelines, which are lacking at present and could create problems down the road as more medical tourists arrive from places like the US and Europe where patients' rights are taken for granted.

With this in mind, another major priority must be to develop a board of key stakeholders from within and outside of the healthcare industry to establish common standards and promote the medical tourism industry in the region, Jagyasi added.