An insight: medical tourism, local and international perspective.

Si nce the Royal Decree was issued on the 22 nd August 1970, Oman began to establish healthcare systems based on modern grounds, with governmental support, financing, laws and regulatory frameworks. 1 After four decades of continuous improvement and dedicated policies, Oman has a vast network of hospitals, clinics and qualified staff, making it a leader in the whole Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for healthcare system in several domains. In Oman, healthcare is provided with all of its four main components (curative, preventive, promotive and rehabilitative) with cooperative environment for the other health related sectors to synergize the impact on community health. 4 All this has resulted in accessibility and distribution of quality healthcare services (accessibility in rural and remote areas is 95% and accessibility in urban areas is almost 100%). W.H.O. ranked Oman's healthcare system as number 8th among all the member states (191 countries) on the basis of several healthcare related factors. 5 Harvard University and other joint commissioned organizations appreciated Oman's healthcare achievements and considered it as a model for other countries. 6 After looking at this wonderful picture of Oman's healthcare system, it is a point of ponder, why many Omanis travel abroad, 7 for medical reasons, why they prefer to get medical services abroad in comparatively substandard , less qualitative places, rather than from their own country. This may be due to several reasons, namely; a) long delays, b) fewer competitive private facilities, c) high cost of private medical services and d) the added bells and whistles of medical tourism. Delays in medical interventions are amongst the reasons for medical travel in Oman. The healthcare system is struggling to shorten waiting lists and provide timely care, but this situation is often difficult to handle for a fully financed governmental system. Here comes the role of private sector, where the waiting time is less but the number of these high quality private hospitals in Oman is limited and their cost is enormous as well. Together, these factors create ample room for hospitals and medical facilities abroad to attract Omanis, where they could save time and cost. Another factor is leisure; medical tourism is not just a trip to the hospital abroad, but in an environment that satisfies patients' desire for leisure and entertainment as surgery at the beach or having rejuvenation treatment in a natural scenic beauty. Moreover, patients may travel to seek medical procedures, such …