Projections show that medical tourism will skyrocket in this decade. And competition will be stiff with over 50 countries having identified medical tourism as a national industry. Quality, cost of services and attraction of the destination itself are what will define the winners in this growing industry. Panama is well-positioned to come out on top ask far as its geographic location and direct flight connectivity, are concerned but the country also has many other advantages.
American standards
Excellent medical care, comparable or better to U.S. standards, is present all over Panama. There are many English-speaking doctors who have degrees from U.S. universities. Foreign retirees were attracted to live in Panama for its incentive programs, but many said it was the quality of health care that sealed the deal for them. The experience feels just like home, they say.
Quality care for a fraction of the cost, all over Panama
Hospital Punta Pacifica is a new facility in an upscale Panama City neighborhood. It is the only facility in Latin America and the Caribbean affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medical International. The facility offers 52 private rooms and 12 suites. Procedures are a fraction of the cost of what they would be elsewhere in the world. Patients comment frequently that the care and service provided to them at this hospital is often above and beyond in quality of services they have received in their home countries.
There are several other facilities in the capital city, the mountain communities as well as the beaches, where the medical standards are just as good as one would expect them to be back home. Clinica San Fernando, located in Panama City, is affiliated with Tulane University, Miami Children’s Hospital and Baptist Health International Miami. Also located in the capital, Centro Medico Paitilla is affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Special attention for forcingners is offered at Hospital Nacional.
In the western province of Chiriquí, first-rate health care is available at Hospital Centro Medico Mae Lewis and Hospital Chiriquí. At the epicenter of Panama’s beach communities, Clinica San Fernando has a branch facility in Coronado offering 24-hour attention, general medical services including CAT scans, ultrasound, a dental clinic and an eye clinic.
Beyond bedside manner
Doctors in Panama often provide their cellular numbers to patients. It is not the exception – this practice is actually quite commonplace. A slower paced environment in a doctor’s office in Panama, where more time is generally allocated to care, allows for a deeper doctor-patient connection.
Recovery facilities
With so many new residences coming onto the market in Panama City, management companies are offering timeshare options, short-term rental solutions, corporate lodging and have furnished many of the units for post-operation patients in recovery. Several hotels have also begun gearing up to provide post-operative care for medical tourists, with wheelchair standards throughout and bathrooms to accommodate patients.
Catering to the uninsured
Whether a person is seeking necessary medical treatment or procedures of an elective nature, in many cases, traveling abroad is often the most economic alternative option for the uninsured. Dental work is a niche market that fits in well with international travel, and the number of people in the U.S. without dental coverage is even higher than the already staggering number of those without basic health coverage.
Wellness tourism: beyond hip replacements and a new crown
A growing field in Panama and the world is medicine that concentrates on wellness as opposed to treating illness. Called “preventative medicine” and often joined with the very popular anti-aging trend, there are a growing number of practitioners from different fields who have converged in Panama under the same guise: That it is better to prevent than to treat disease.
Non-invasive procedures are other reasons that people flock to Panama for treatments to keep looking great. Combining tourism and the savings on tooth whitening, micro-dermabrasion, Thermage and Fraxel Laser treatment for wrinkles alone, is reason enough for people to pay a visit to Panama.
The fountain of youth
A new niche industry in Panama’s growing medical tourism market is complete with age management. Several health care providers offer “miracle treatments” like human growth hormone replacement and stem cell procedures at huge savings. People come from all over the world for these services which are available here. Compared to the US, Canada and the UK, these specific medical fields here in Panama are busier than ever.
Combining a trip in Panama
Dental, wellness, anti-aging and other less invasive medical procedures are more apt to be combined with recreation and tourism. Often the part of the money saved by traveling beyond one’s borders to receive medical attention can be applied to a trip within Panama. As the tourism offer in Panama expands by leaps and bounds each year, there are more and more options for medical tourists to choose from. Luxurious accommodations and services that can compliment a medical tourist’s experience are readily available here, also at a fraction of the cost.
Patients usually add on these services during a vacation visit to Panama. World-class spa services are available at many of Panama’s wellness clinics that are located in the bustling capital city or tranquil mountain getaways, where visitors relax in the eternal spring-like climate.
Always use caution
As with medical care in one’s home country and anywhere around the world, a fair measure of caution when choosing providers is always necessary. Consumers need to be active in verifying that those who are providing care are properly licensed and up to date with regulations