Medical travel is increasingly common in countries with long wait times, such as Canada
The Canadian Medical Travel and Tourism Agency (a private company) announced the launch of Global Healthcare Connections to identify solutions for Canadians willing to travel abroad for medical and dental care.
The new company has partnered with 44 hospitals and clinics in 14 countries to provide customers with alternatives to surgical and specialist wait times, for procedures such as bariatric surgery, cosmetic surgery, dental implants and veneers. The company’s network also provides access to treatments not yet available in Canada, such as stem cell therapy and CCSVI for multiple sclerosis. Treatment destinations include Thailand, Singapore and the USA.
Global Healthcare Connections provides information on physician credentials, treatment risks, destinations and follow-up care. It books all medical appointments, and also arranges transportation, accommodation, financing, insurance and emergency medical services for its clients.
“We understand the entire process of travelling for medical services and work to ensure that our clients have immediate access to the best practitioners in their field of expertise,” said company founder Adele Kulyk. “On an international platform, medicine advances much faster than on a local level. By travelling our clients gain immediate access to advanced treatment for management of chronic health conditions, pain and critical illness.”
The move is another attempt to cash in on the growing medical tourism industry, which could be worth as much as $100 billion dollars by 2012. A 2010 Deloitte report identified two main drivers for the upswing in medical tourism: rising incomes in the developing world (which allow people to travel outside their home countries for advanced treatment), and long wait times in certain developed countries, such as Canada.
Companies mentioned
Global Healthcare Connections is a Canadian medical tourism agency with a network of 44 hospitals in 14 countries spread across North America, Latin America and Asia. Its goal is to provide its customers with alternatives to long wait times for specialist appointments and surgical treatments. It books all medical appointments, arranges air and ground transportation, accommodation, financing, insurance and emergency medical services for its clients. http://www.globalhealthcareconnections.com