UAE: UAE Growing International Medical Tourism

International Medical Tourism (IMT) has been given a boost in this part of the globe as the “International Medical Conference and Exhibitions 2015” rolled off at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Wednesday.

With over 84 countries and 74 domestic as well as foreign healthcare service industry providers participating, the convention has placed the UAE and specifically Dubai on the global map of medical tourism and its support for the health and wellness of the over 7.3 billion world population.

In his opening speech, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) director general and board of directors chairman Humaid Al Qatami said: “The prestigious status that Dubai enjoys internationally has paved the way for a better future for health.

“It has made the emirate of Dubai eligible for being the primary destination as well as a favourite for therapeutic tourism. This has drawn attention to the status Dubai enjoys amongst other centres worldwide of which the authority is well aware and is keen to achieve within its terms of reference and its responsibilities and objectives in promoting the health sector.”

DHA-Health Regulation director Dr Layla Al Marzouki said the Dubai health system is “flexible, efficient and capable of adapting to emerging circumstances, changes and requirements as well as take into consideration all new developments and regulations in line with new world medical developments.”

These novel developments are part of the lectures and panel discussions held at the two-day conference, which gathered over 500 medical and healthcare industry players from around the world.

According to Al Marzouki, recent DHA data disclosed that Dubai has so far generated 256,097 medical tourists with 33 per cent or 84,512 Asians, 27 per cent or 69,146 Europeans, and 23 per cent or 58,902 from the Arab World.

In a prior interview, Warmund von Massenbach, who has been in the international business travel industry for a long time, said medical tourism is a “decade old industry.”He recognised the demand for IMT, but hastened to express caution over the “lack of authenticity, regulations and certifications for some hospitals and doctors.”

The Premier Healthcare Germany (PHG)-Gulf regional director said cost-effectiveness as well as quality and technology advancements are the engines of the sector.PHG is a medical tourism services provider for patients and their families in the western-central European country.

So far, it has handled 100,000 patients (who are in the age bracket of 45 to 60 and are from high income families) from the Gulf region, specifically from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Most of its clients are men. Cancer is a major concern. A big number of the patients are afflicted with breast cancer.Other health issues are orthopaedics and spine surgery.He said: “From my experience, patients have far more options. This has been made possible thanks to technology and the expertise offered in many countries.”

“When it comes to options, women have the opportunity to get female-oriented treatment plans for illnesses such as breast cancer which is of great interest to the Middle East and in specific, the Emirates,” Von Massenbach added.

South Korea is represented by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), an agency affiliated with Seoul’s Ministry of Health and Welfare , with a regional office covering the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) in Abu Dhabi.

The Korea National Tourism Organisation along with six hospitals from the Seocho-go bureau or province in the Northeast Asian nation complete the team. KHIDI-Mena senior manager Bo Young Hwang told The Gulf Today that society benefits through IMT.

In the case of South Korea and the Mena, memoranda of understanding (MoU) have been signed or renewed between pertinent government agencies leading to patients receiving optimum healthcare, as the professional growth of the medical community, particularly the physicians, is guaranteed.

In 2014, the Seoul heath ministry and the Sharjah Health Authority signed an MoU for patient referrals,expertise exchanges on information communications and technology, and continuing studies and trainings for doctors.

In 2013, the KHIDI and the Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi signed an MoU for patients referrals.In 2012, the KHIDI signed an MoU with the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi and the Zayed Military Hospital for patients referrals. So far, over 800 Emirati military officers and men have become medical tourists through these MoUs.

In 2011, the UAE Ministry of Health and MHW signed an MoU for the physician exchange educational and training programmes.Through a recent MoU with KHIDI, all Tiqaa, Gold and Silver holders of the Daman Insurance company have medical benefits and privileges with 31 hospitals across South Korea.KHIDI has facilitated similar MoUs with government bodies in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.Hwang said the medical concerns of the UAE and Gulf patients are cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses.

Among other reasons, IMT thrives in South Korea because of the affordable rates compared to the US and Germany.KHIDI is also concentrated on driving South Korean healthcare investments in the region which includes pharmaceutical firms and hospitals.Moreover, KHIDI is seeking the easement of the entry of South Korean medical practitioners in the UAE.So far, the St. Mary’s Hospital in Seoul is managing a medical centre in Abu Dhabi.

The Seoul National University Hospital is in-charge of the Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah.Arabian Healthcare Group and Ras Al Khaimah Hospital executive director said: “The central global positioning of the UAE, easy visa access and world-class medical services it offers makes the country ideal for medical tourism.”He said management has made it a point that patients receive utmost care that starts from medical tourism packages which include airline tickets, visitor visas and negotiated rates at partner hotels.