Medical tourism is on the rise these days with literally thousands of medical tourists opting to travel overseas for their medical treatment. It is considered essential though, that a medical tourist gets to know the possible pros and cons of medical tourism before opting for the same. Here are some need to know information about the possible pros and cons of the medical tourism business.
Pros
Cost Savings
A bypass heart surgery in the US would cost around $140000 while it would just cost about $5200 in countries like India. The same can be said for a variety of other medical procedures that cost only a fraction in developing countries when compared to countries like the US and the UK.
Negligible Waiting Periods
Waiting periods can be intolerable for patients who require immediate medical attention. Medical tourism would enable these patients to get treated in another country immediately without having to wait at all.
Specialized Medical Personnel
Patients would no doubt want specialized care for their medical problems. If they cannot find it at home, they would need to travel elsewhere for the same. For instance, India specializes in urology, cardiology, and neurology while Thailand specializes in reconstructive surgeries.
Less Perturbation
Medical tourism facilitators usually arrange every detail of the trip for a medical tourist, thereby making it easier for the latter to focus only on the treatment and recovery instead of having to worry about paperwork and insurance claims.
Cons
Lack of Clear Information
Sadly, this is one of the main cons of the medical tourism business. Lack of clear information on the internet often leads to medical tourists choosing sub-standard medical facilities for their treatment. This could turn out to be potentially fatal for the patient in certain cases.
Legal Woes
Liability problems are rampant in the medical tourism business, with many medical tourists finding it very hard to claim damages in case of any malpractice or other unforeseen complications.
Travel Hazards
Long flight hours in cramped cabin spaces, especially after a surgery, could lead to additional complications like vein thrombosis. It is unwise to travel long distance after receiving medical treatment, especially if a surgery is involved.
Increased Vulnerability to Local Diseases
Traveling to a foreign destination for medical treatment would make a patient vulnerable to local diseases, especially in the post-surgical period. For instance, diseases like influenza, tuberculosis and malaria, etc. are rare in the West, but very common in Asian countries. As such, a medical tourist with no natural immunity to these diseases would have increased chances of contracting them during the trip.
Summary
Medical tourism is a thriving business and is extremely lucrative for many destinations around the world. However, it has its fair share of pros and cons that a medical tourist must take into consideration before giving the final nod for the process.
