What is Medical Tourism?

Every year, millions of people travel to countries like Thailand, India and Jordan for medical treatment. They have hundreds of different medical treatments and procedures performed by highly trained specialists in purpose-built facilities. They pay a fraction of what they would at home, and get an overseas holiday at the same time.

This fast-growing industry is known as medical tourism, global healthcare or health travel.

Perhaps you've heard of people traveling overseas for affordable, high-quality cosmetic surgery. But cosmetic surgery is just one of the options available to medical tourists. If you can think of a procedure that's expensive, difficult to obtain in your country, or that involves long waiting lists, the chances are it's available overseas at a much lower cost and with no waiting time.

Some of the treatments available to medical tourists include:

Hip and knee replacements
IVF treatment
Cosmetic surgery
Executive Health checkups
Alternative therapies and spa treatments

People travel for medical treatment for a variety of reasons. It might be the cost saving that attracts them, or the lack of waiting time, or the chance to combine medical treatment with an exotic holiday.