Medical tourism is now a multi-billion dollar industry and it is growing at top speed. Long waiting time, lack of timely medical care and high cost of medical treatments are driving the citizens of first world countries to the third world countries. Countries like Canada may have superior medical facilities but the waiting period is already too long. The government bears the responsibility of healthcare but patients have to wait weeks for primary medical facilities. In such circumstances, offering medical care facilities to the medical tourists from other countries will be an act of injustice to their own people.
Canada will remain committed to citizens over medical tourists
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Citizens are already traveling for medical care
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Scope of medical tourism in Canada
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Government will prioritize citizens
Citizens are already traveling for medical care
The Canadian citizens are going off shore in search of timely medical care and better facilities. The middle class citizens are not ready to wait for weeks to get simple things like an MRI done. Sometimes, delay in getting treatments can even prove to be fatal. According to a survey, 4 years ago an average Canadian citizen had to wait 19 weeks for seeing a general medical practitioner. If they required surgeries then the waiting time will be longer. No wonder the patients are losing patience and traveling to far away countries in search of immediate healthcare.
In 2011, around 46,159 Canadians had traveled to other countries for medical care treatments according to estimates. The number has been rising since then. Canadian government has got a big problem at hand, namely patients who are keen on getting speedy recovery and interested in medical tourism. But the government sponsored structure of medical care is still popular because it is inexpensive.
Scope of medical tourism in Canada
Apart from long waiting time the medical infrastructure of Canada is also not as developed as some of the other first world countries. According to OECD report 2011, Canada has fewer numbers of MRI machines, CT scanners and PET scanners than most other developed countries. Many of the health centers, clinics and hospital wards consist of outdated technology and old machines which do not work properly. The Canadian citizens are weary of the lack of new machines and faults in the healthcare structure. The scope of medical tourism does not seem to be too bright at the present moment.
Medical tourists want immediate attention at lower prices compared to what pay in their homeland hospitals. Canada cannot offer low cost and more efficient healthcare than its contemporaries. If the Canadian government makes changes in the infrastructural system and spends on new medical technologies and machines then things will improve.
The government should also try to reduce the waiting time for both foreign patients and citizens. It is only possible if the number of patient per doctor and medical expert gets reduced. Canadian government should start helping students interested in joining the medical profession and encourage students to take up this noble profession. This type of measures will help in increasing the number of healthcare providers.
Government will prioritize citizens
In a new Conference Board of Canada report, experts have analyzed and explained the downside of medical tourism for Canadian citizens. At present Canada spends $200 billion annually on public healthcare yet the medical infrastructure is unable to offer immediate medical help to the citizens. Catering to foreign patients can mean that the waiting period will be lengthier for citizens.
Experts believe that there is some excess medical care providing capacity which can be used in a structured way for helping foreign patients. But the foreign patients will not be allowed to jump the line. They have to wait in queue. Citizens will be given more priority than the foreign patients.
Medical tourism is now a highly competitive field and Canada has little chance of making huge profits from this industry. The Canadian government will give first preference to its citizens in matters of healthcare.
