MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Latin America becoming prime destination for medical tourism
The high cost of healthcare has created the lucrative phenomenon of medical tourism. An IPK International survey revealed roughly 3% of the world’s population travels to foreign countries for medical treatment, while Patients Beyond Borders, which publishes international medical travel guidebooks, reported the medical tourism industry is a 40 billion dollars a year business. Read full article
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Jul 17th, 2013 - 08:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Brazil has an excellent reputation in dentistry too. Compared to Europeans, Brazilians care a lot about their teeth.
Jul 18th, 2013 - 01:22 am - Link - Report abuse 0Family medical bill.
Jul 18th, 2013 - 05:35 am - Link - Report abuse 01988 & 1992 birth of children cost £0.00
1993 Vasectomy cost £0.00
1995 Malignant melanoma removal, plastic surgery and treatment cost £0.00
2000 Hysterectomy cost £0.00
2005 Spinal surgery, chemo, radiotherapy, physio cost £0.00
2007 Double hip replacement cost £0.00
2013 hernia repair cost £0.00
2013 Colostomt, chemo, radiotherapy cost £0.00
Total cost £0.00
All with first class treatment and care.
No need to travel anywhere.
God bless the NHS.
20
The excellent medical and dental treatment available in El Salvador should be considered, especially as the charges are very reasonable.
Jul 18th, 2013 - 06:15 am - Link - Report abuse 0Monterrey is a thriving medical destination with several world class health facilities and universites. We´ve seen lots of growth in that industry here, from cancer treatment to plastic surgery and dental care.
Jul 18th, 2013 - 10:57 am - Link - Report abuse 03 reality check
Jul 18th, 2013 - 12:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am pleased to see your family have made use of the NHS for these somewhat life threatening problems.
Do not think however it had zero cost other than at the point of use. Before I retired I was paying a hell of a lot of money in taxes funding this dysfunctional service.
Have you seen how many patients have died as a result of incompetence / CGAF attitude, etc by the staff, both medical and services in the NHS since 2005: 14,000 and climbing as more health authorities come under the spotlight.
The health care we receive in Uruguay is far better than in the UK and it costs us just £73.75 inc her BP & asthma medication for my wife and £53.90 for me, totalling just £1,531 pa for the two of us. The hospitals (we are in different schemes) are new and the staff very helpful. It was worth coming here for this alone without all the other benefits we get such as sun in the summer EVERY year. :o)
I hope your family remain well (or get better than now).
Chrisr
Jul 18th, 2013 - 02:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Thanks the serious stuff was with the inlaws, the old man really been through it this year, frankly did not think he would still be here with us now, but glad to say the prognosis for him his looking good! Looks like he will see his first granddaughter, married this October, thanks to the life saving care he received from people like Lep.
Take your point on the cost, glad to say my tax burden is not too heavy, if it were I could see the sense in finding alternative medical provision.
Something needs to be done and done quick about the standard is some of the hospitals you refer to. Start with sacking the inept management and get rid of the institutional system of threatening staff with the sack for whistle blowing. That would be a good start.
And before anyone jumps on here and connects that with what Snowden did, it is not the same, the motives are not the same and results are not the same. Healthcare whistle blowing saves life's. Intelligence operatives whistle blowing puts life's at risk! Totally different!
I am not saying these Latam countries do not provide excellent care, that would be utterly wrong and be a stupid thing to say. I was trying to say that other than at the point of taxation, we pay no medical costs.
7 reality check
Jul 18th, 2013 - 04:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Glad to know it was not you personally and I hope he sees his granddaughter married.
I have family in North Staffordshire and am VERY concerned for their medium term care, because as you say the government needs to do something drastic to stop the nonsense from happening: there is no excuse in this day and age for people dying due to nursing problems and the cleanliness of hospitals.
Re your final paragraph: yes, I realise exactly what you were saying: forget about it.
We came to Uruguay to help with my wife’s chronic asthma and, apart from two months or so in the winter, it has succeeded beyond my wildest hopes. She used to really cough and cough more or less every day in the UK; it is now only on really humid and cold days in winter.
We were REALLY amazed at how inexpensive the excellent medical care is and nothing is too much trouble for my wife when we visit the local clinic for her three monthly check-ups which come in the cost of the package.
That is good to know, I was chronic myself, having contracted the condition s the result of a virus, aged 45. I was hospitalised every year for four years on the trot. Bloody awful existence, inhalers, steroid (my silver bullets), nebulisers, sleeping upright, ambulances at 3 am in the morning. God awful life!
Jul 18th, 2013 - 05:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Took the kids to Disneyland, Florida and it disappeared only to return when we came hom. Seriously considered moving there.
I was then prescribed an inhaler called Symbicort 2006 containing,
BUDESONIDE/FORMOTEROL FUMARATE DIHYDRATE.
It totally changed my life, so much so that I still find it hard to believe I was a chronic and I do mean chronic asthmatic. Took it regularly for several years, 2 doses morning and evening. Now I take it every second or third day when I start to become breathless. Nothing else just the single inhaler.
Do not know what your good lady uses, if you can obtain it there and I see no reason why not, I would recommend it to her Doctor.
Cheers.
9 reality check
Jul 18th, 2013 - 06:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Thanks very much indeed for that.
My wife was never offered Symbicort while we were in the UK but we will certainly mention that to the doctors when he present stock of inhalers are coming to an end, whenever that will be.
Are we a lot of hypochondriacs? Or what?
Jul 18th, 2013 - 06:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I think we are just getting old and arthritic hips, COPD, diabetes, sleep apnea and other complaints start to appear. I live in the UK and am pleased my pension arrangements include private medical insurance - the NHS, thanks to to the Labour Party, is crap in some places.
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