Tourism Arrangements from Dr. Prem’s guidebook on Medical Tourism highlights various tourism arrangements to plan for prior to seeking medical care abroad. It is important to remember that even though the destination might offer a variety of beautiful and exciting attractions, all medical tourists travelling for treatment should get an approval from their doctor prior to engaging in any outdoor or touristic activities so as not to affect the medical procedure scheduled. Tourism arrangements will not be the same for the young and senior medical tourists.The chapter details information on booking your hotel or living accommodation when abroad, the importance about learning and familiarizing one’s self with a new culture and the necessity of maintaining safety and security when in a foreign country.
Tourism propositions of destinations
Countries, which have made a mark for themselves on the medical tourism map of the world, such as India, Thailand and Singapore, also have beautiful tourism attractions, which you should definitely visit. Indulging in tourism and participating in the country’s rich cultural heritage can prove to be a wonderful experience, especially for people who usually do not get the time to travel out of their home country often. If you too would like to take part in various tourism activities, such as sightseeing, it is in your best interest to do it before your treatment actually begins. Since you are traveling abroad primarily to get treatment, your doctors might advise you to rest for a few days and hence, it will not be possible for you to roam around with your family and friends.
Most popular medical tourism destinations have a strong tourism sector and hence these places host a plethora of good outdoor and indoor tourism activities for tourists, including sightseeing tours, sports leisure activities and more. You should ideally choose an activity, which you can enjoy while relaxing at the same time. Relaxing your body and mind before undergoing a medical treatment is highly important, as it will help calm any pre-treatment anxiety and nervousness that you may feel. However, before indulging in any such activity, you should consult your doctor first and seek his approval to ensure that participating in these activities will not affect the schedule of your medical procedure. Seeking a doctor’s approval is especially important for patients who will undergo a surgery in the near future.
Learning about the culture
Since in most cases, medical tourists plan to visit a country which they have not visited in the past, your medical tourism journey can help you learn more about the culture of the country. It gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a completely different culture, which might be entirely unfamiliar to you. The fun of exploring a new region also allows you to explore local traditions and festivities. Understanding the culture of a region could help you in accessing the healthcare services, commonly offered to the residents, while giving you an idea of how to interact with your healthcare providers. Apart from visiting the main tourist attractions, it is a good idea to visit some local spots, such as a market or a bazaar, to understand how the local people communicate with each other.
While you might not understand the local language, you can definitely gauge the non-verbal actions used to communicate with the local people. You can also hire a local guide, who will be in a better position to tell you about the local people, their traditions and their culture in a much better way.
Language
How do you adapt in foreign country without knowing the local language? In addition to the information you get about a country’s local culture, it is also essentially important for you to learn a few sentences in the native language of the country you will be treated in. While you can easily purchase a pocket language guidebook of the region, you can even ask your tour guide to tell you a few important sentences in the local language. You should know how to greet strangers, how to ask for food and water, and how to tell others that you are a medical tourist and visiting the country only for your treatment. While you can make an impression on your healthcare provider by speaking a few sentences in his local language, you will also be in a better position to ask for help if something does go wrong.
Choosing accommodation close to the hotel
It is highly advisable that you make your lodging arrangements in a hotel or resort, which is close to the healthcare facility. This will help you avoid long journeys to and from any consultations or for the procedure itself. Moreover, if you have a serious medical condition, you have to make sure that the place where you are staying is as close to the healthcare facility as possible, which will help you reach the hospital quickly in case your condition gets even more critical. Moreover, in case you do require any emergency post-operative care or want to prepare well for any unforeseen complications, a closely located hotel will prove to be immensely beneficial.
Safety and Security
While most reputed medical tourism destinations in the world, such as Singapore, are safe for medical tourists, certain countries, such as Thailand, are not entirely politically stable. For your own safety, it is important to learn all safety precautions in your treating country to ensure that you select a hotel and a healthcare facility, which is located in a safe neighborhood.
In the comprehensive destination guide of this book, you will find a list detailing how each of the 70 medical tourism destinations listed rank in terms of safety and security. This list will help you make a sound decision on where to get treatment.
Food and water at a foreign destination for medical tourism
As you travel from one part of the world to another, you will notice a drastic change in food habits. Food is an integral part of any culture, and something that you cannot avoid while visiting any country. The food available abroad might be entirely different from what you are used to and it might be difficult to deny the appeal of the local cuisine. The deliciousness of a new fare or the local street food might be mouth-watering at first, but might cause harm to your stomach and your health later on. You need to be cautious while arranging for your food and water on a medical trip.
Patients must remember that the methods of preparation and the quality standards of food vary in different parts of the world. You must make a choice that is suitable to your particular health conditions. When abroad, you must consider choosing a restaurant that provides comfort and high quality food. You must not think twice about spending extra on food as paying more money to guarantee quality food will be beneficial to your health.
The same rule applies to water as well. Perhaps the rules are even stricter for water. Safe drinking water is one of the key criteria for good health. But unfortunately the standard of drinking water is not the same in developed and developing nations. To avoid any water-borne diseases, patients should opt for bottled drinking water, easily accessible at convenient stores and markets throughout your host location.
Although it might be delicious to experiment with different cuisines while on your medical trip, it might be more beneficial to stick to food that is light and bland while recovering from your treatment. Many physicians will recommend avoiding food that is high in sodium, fat and spice and suggest you stick with foods that suit your body to help you recover quickly. Since the food you eat is directly proportional to your health, the diet chart prescribed by your doctor must be adhered to in all circumstances.
Try and do as much research before you travel on the type of food available in the city you are visiting as well as in the hospitals or clinics in the region. Hospitals should be able to provide you with a menu from the food department which you can access before you travel to get an idea of the cuisine they serve.
