With emerging nations now breaking into better healthcare provision & facilities, there is keen interest for countries to now jump onto the bandwagon, offering “destination programs” for healthcare & wellness. Realizing that intra-regional play will be self-limiting once neighboring countries develop more competencies in their medical care, the pressure to sustain medical travel revenue and arrivals has prompted greater commercial development into the west.

With the higher cost of treatment, the obvious choice for many payers & patients is to travel to a country which offers equal if not better care at a fraction of the cost. Aspiring healthcare organizations have started venturing into carving out medical travelers as a revenue stream that could be seen to be an organic growth factor for their businesses.

Coupled with intense marketing campaigns and end-to-end service models, incorporating hospitality and leisure, we see new market entrants promising clinical excellence, unsurpassed services and unforgettable experiences. All good when all systems go well, and the foundation has been laid out for sustainable business models design around a diverse & demanding clientele who would travel far to get well. It has taken countries like Singapore, Thailand more than 20 years to get to the level of expertise in managing medical travelers as how we see today. The complexity of clinical & experience management is not something that can be emulated overnight. The development & investments related to healthcare provision have to be a long-term commitment, catering not just for medical visitors but most importantly, the people of the land as well. Only when a nation develops a strong and reliable healthcare system; public or private; can we offer the world the same.

It is therefore important for us to grasp that while there is opportunity in building value through medical tourism, the truth remains that there is no short-cut to being par excellence in providing treatment and cure to the world. The quick fixes of today will only add to failure and a short-lived program for any healthcare establishment. It is very important to establish an operating system & a clinical excellence program before embarking on this highly demanding segment which is adding even more hyper-competitiveness to the healthcare ecosystem.