Globalization was a reality for healthcare long before it was a mainstream paradigm for the business world. For decades, wealthy patients around the world have been traveling to various destinations around the world to find the best possible treatment. However, the ever increasing cost of treatment in developed countries has led to a new type of demand: quality treatment at a low cost with a taste of tourism.
In the developed world, the high cost of healthcare is a major problem faced by individuals, employers, employee funds, insurance systems and governments. In addition, the long waiting time for some types of surgery has made the situation worse. This fact has shaped the medical tourism industry within the last decade. IMARC Group estimates that the global medical tourism market will grow strongly from 2024 to 2026.
Please find below more information about how you can benefit from a medical tourism agency, as well as what are the best medical tourism companies worldwide.
Contents
How is Medical Tourism Made?
Medical tourism is done as follows:
Finding a medical tourism agency
The first step is to look for reputable medical tourism companies in your target countries over the internet. Social media or search engines can be used as a source for finding the best medical tourism companies. After finding the agency and getting detailed information about it, you can read reviews from previous customers about it.
Contacting the medical tourism agency
For more information, you can contact the company via the contact information. Over the phone, chat or video call, you can learn more about the medical procedure with the help of medical experts from the medical tourism company. Additionally, you can pass all the question marks about the operation that you want to perform. For a better response, you are usually asked to send them a picture of your medical records. The best doctors will be introduced to you by the company and you may want to know a little more about some of them.
Arranging your trip with the medical tourism agency
Generally, medical tourists come from abroad. After your treatment plan has been prepared by the Medical Tourism Agency, arrangements should be made for your trip to the destination country, including your visa, flight, and accommodations there.
Making the first visit
Upon arrival in the destination country, your first visit with your doctor will be scheduled as soon as possible. In the first examination process, your doctor creates an action plan based on your wishes. Then, necessary evaluations are performed and all tests for your medical procedure are planned and carried out.
Processing and Discharge
You will have the medical procedure performed as planned. After the medical procedure is completed, you will be kept under surveillance in the medical center if necessary. You will be discharged after all processes are completed. Within the scope of medical tourism service, you can stay in a comfortable environment as you need to rest for a while depending on the operation. Additionally, you can enjoy the country’s tourism attractions. You can then return home when your doctor advises you.
What are the best medical tourism companies in the world?
In the global medical tourism industry, leading medical tourism companies are providing innovative medicines and improved healthcare services to patients. Additionally, they offer comprehensive medical tourism packages, which include visa, airport pick-up (and drop-off), private transfer, booking accommodations, flights, round-the-clock interpreting and tour guiding services, nursing, sightseeing tours, and so on.
Here are some of the top medical tourism companies in the world:
1. Aditya Birla Health Services Limited
Aditya Birla Health Services Limited is a non-governmental medical tourism company that started in 2001 with its headquarters in India. Its partner hospitals offer a variety of services in the fields of cardiovascular disease, critical care, dentistry, internal medicine, mother and child health, nutrition and diets, ophthalmology, pain management, anesthesiology, laboratory, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and emergency services to patients.
2. KPJ Healthcare Berhad
KPJ Healthcare Berhad is a medical tourism company based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that has been operating since 1981. With an integrated network of about 30 specialist hospitals across Malaysia, this hospital is one of the best medical tourism companies providing private healthcare services in Malaysia. This medical tourism agency also works with two hospitals in Indonesia, in Bangkok and Bangladesh.
3. Ariamedtour
AriaMedTour is Iran’s top medical tourism company and healthcare services. This company provides medical tourism services, tours, and travel services to international patients from all over the world. AriaMedTour is affiliated with the world’s most prestigious hospitals, clinics, specialists, and doctors. Some hospitals and clinics offer the best infrastructure, modern equipment, trained staff and international standards of hygiene and care for patients.
4. Samitivej Hospital Group
Samitivej Hospital was founded in 1979 and is one of Thailand’s leading private hospital groups working in the field of medical tourism. Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital, located on Sukhumvit Soi 49, is one of the top private hospitals in Southeast Asia. Samitivej Sukhumvit is a 275 bed tertiary care hospital with over 400 specialists located in Bangkok.
5. Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited
Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited provides healthcare services and operates standalone pharmacies in Chennai, India, since 1983. Healthcare, Pharmacy, and Others make up the company’s major operating segments. The Healthcare segment includes hospitals, hospital pharmacies, and projects and consulting services. Over 50 specialty areas are covered at its tertiary care hospitals, including cardiac sciences, oncology, neurosciences, critical care, orthopedics, radiology, gastroenterology, and transplant. It also offers project research services, consultancy services, health insurance services, and educational and training programs. Further, it operates birthing centers, day surgery clinics, and dental clinics.
6. Remed Health
Medical tourists can take advantage of the value-added services offered by Remed Health by accessing their services online. Additionally, it provides a variety of services and partnerships to corporations, medical institutions, healthcare practitioners, and medical policymakers. The Remed Group has operated in Turkey and worldwide since 1993. Remed Assistance’s extensive experience in travel and medical assistance enables it to handle more than 100.000 international medical cases each year.
Bottom line
In general, there are many reasons why people decide to take advantage of medical tourism. The most important of them are:
- Disappointment with treatment in your home country.
- Lack of access to medical care in a timely and cost-effective manner.
- Insufficient insurance and income to cover local medical expenses.
- High-quality medical care in developing countries.
- Variety of treatment options.
- Not having to be on a waiting list.
- Growing popularity for overseas medical services.
- Access to the latest technologies.
That is why the health tourism industry is becoming more and more important and many people are looking for the best medical tourism companies in the world on the Internet. In this article, we tried to provide complete information about this.