01/28/2013 | By: Guest Contributor
During recent years, the Middle East has become a leading hub of health care services overseas due to the rise of advanced standards, affordable pricing strategies and high standards of medical expertise.
A mystical region promising great potential and possibilities in medical tourism arena; the Middle East medical infrastructure is growing by leaps and bounds attracting thousands of medical tourists to Jordan, UAE, Turkey, and Cyprus.
The region continues to grow and gain more advantage over the rising health care cost and lengthy waiting times in the West, particularly in Europe and the US.
From the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf to the breezy coast of Bosphorous, this is the “it” region to undergo a quality treatment, to relax and recover at price that is always within budget.
According to a report titled “Middle East Medical Tourist Industry Outlook to 2016”, during recent years the medical tourism revenue of the region has increase from USD 1,240 million in 2006 at a CAGR of 4.7% from the year 2006-2011.
Jordan has become a popular medical tourism provider in the Middle East attracting international patients from Europe and the US. The low cost quality treatment provided by cutting edge medical infrastructure gave rise to the number of tourist arrivals in Amman, Perta and Aqaba.
UAE is also experiencing its own medical tourism renaissance. UAE is not only visited for its superlative glam and high rise luxury; plastic surgery Dubai lures in more medical tourists to undergo a glamorous transformation as much as the city did. The relaxation of international norms such as visa documents in the UAE allows many visitors to set their sights to Dubai to enjoy luxury vacation and a self-enhancement surgery.
For some, internal factors such as political instability, civil wars, revolutions and protests in parts of the region may throw them off; however, according to figures, many medical tourists are happy to avail the improvement of medical infrastructure and low-cost options.
The medical tourism industry in the Middle East is estimated to attract 753, 500 medical tourists and will generate revenue of USD 2 billion by 2016.
Turkey:
Although the country’s location is arguable; some consider it in Europe, other see it as Middle Eastern or even in Asia. Turkey lays claim to all these regions, making it an ideal geographical location and a perfect connection between major European and Middle Eastern cities.
Be it in the Middle East or in Europe, Turkey is the second largest country in terms of the medical tourist arrivals and in terms of revenue generated.
Hair transplant Turkey is a major provider for many male Arabs seeking hair restoration treatments offered by state-of-the-art technology and attended to by some of the world’s most prolific surgeons.
Affordable hair loss treatments, flexible payment options and positive word-of-mouth encourage hundreds of medical tourists from Libya, Egypt and Syria to travel to Turkey for hair transplant.
Plastic surgery Turkey is another fundamental factor to spur international patients to consider treatments such as breast implants in Istanbul and tummy tuck in Izmir.
Turkey dental clinics embody world-class dental infrastructure to provide natural looking smiles. Many patients travel for dentists Turkey to achieve a healthy and smile.
Expensive dental treatment costs are slashed in cosmetic dentists’ clinics in Istanbul, Ankara, Bodrum, Marmaris and Antalya. Dental implants in Turkey, dental veneers and dental crowns are among the most desired dental procedures.
UAE:
The country is taking the medical tourism world by storm, establishing a large hospital network in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al-Khaimah.
Dubai Healthcare City is a fine example of quality medical care providing a safe haven for health care tourists in the region, welcoming around 50,000 patients in 2011- a 10 percent increase over the previous year.
The country holds the highest number of JCI certified hospitals in the region. Plastic surgery Dubai is a major draw to the country; the country’s testament of being gracefully transformed from a stretch of sand into a futuristic urban hub.
Dental care infrastructure in UAE has seen the same transformation inviting several big names in cosmetic dentistry field to offshore their business in Dubai and provide affordable, quality dental care. Dentists Dubai have a well-deserved reputation for excellence and professional practice.
Lebanon:
A recent entrant in medical tourism race, Lebanon is a growing health care and cosmetic surgery provider in the Middle East that appeals to neighboring Gulf patients.
Plastic surgery Beirut is resounding call for many patients looking to save on costs and soak up the Mediterranean metropolis.
Lebanon is also reputable destination for fertility treatments boasting advanced IVF centers and an extensive variety of reproductive treatments. IVF Beirut offers free-standing facilities which incorporate the most advanced techniques available for treatment of infertility in both men and women.
Jordan:
The country caters to medical tourists from Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other countries in the region. Jordan offers state-of-the-art medical treatments in all of the 106 hospitals in the country.
Medical care branches are mostly concentrated in the capital Amman. Jordan has 10 hospitals with JCI accreditation in 2011.
The country is also known for its human reproductive care helping couples struggling with infertility. Fertility clinics in Jordan provide the highest quality reproductive medicine and fertility services in an atmosphere of compassion and personalized care.
Jordan gender selection programs are a viable option for many patients from Iraq and Saudi Arabia looking to conceive a certain gender to avoid a sex-related disease or achieve family planning.
Cyprus:
Plastic surgery, dental care and fertility treatments are offered extensively on the island. Cyprus’s fame for quality health care is attributed to the physicians’ experience and hands-on training in international institutions worldwide.
IVF Cyprus is one of the most sough-after treatments on the island as Cyprus is advantaged by flexible laws and regulation regarding gender selection, egg donation and Microsort.
Numerous couples seek plastic surgery in Cyprus to benefit from the doctor’s outstanding credentials and advanced cosmetic surgery technology.
When it comes to dental care in Cyprus; the island reins supreme offering far lower costs than in several other EU-member countries and has the highest specialized dental professionals. The most frequently performed dental procedure are dental implants Kyrenia and dental veneers Nicosia.
With many destinations in the Middle East to choose from, patients pick the most affordable and appropriate country to undergo a safe surgery.
It is a great region and world of affordable health care that provides viable alternatives to expensive medical service in Europe and the US.
Image credit: Lonely Planet
