The sky is falling

Medical tourism involves travelling to other countries to avail medical, dental, or surgical care. A combination of various factors, such as exorbitant costs of healthcare in industrialised nations, the increased ease and affordability of international travel, favourable currency exchange rates in the global economy, rapidly improving medical technology and standards of care in many countries as well as the ubiquitous Internet, have led to the recent increase in its popularity. The medical tourism market is estimated to grow by USD 2.2 billion with a corresponding increase of USD 60 billion in the healthcare market [1]. Western Europeans and Canadians bypass the long wait periods that are part of their national health plans by getting medical care abroad. Ten per cent of EU patients seek treatment outside their own country and spend an estimated 12 billion Euro [2]. Medical tourism is a rapidly growing industry even in the so-called developing countries, with countries like Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Hungary, India, Israel, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand and the Philippines actively promoting it [3]. According to a UN study, the cost differentials for medical services for a variety of procedures may be: • A heart-valve replacement that would cost USD 200,000 in the US is available for USD 10,000 in India inclusive of the round trip airfare and a vacation package. • A joint replacement in Thailand with eight days of physical therapy at a luxury resort costs less than USD 9,000. • Cosmetic-surgery savings are even greater: A full facelift that would cost USD 20,000 in the US is about USD 1,250 in South Africa [1]. • A PET/CT scan performed in Melbourne inclusive of airfare and accommodation in a 4-star hotel is cheaper than what it costs in Singapore, with some pocket money to spare.