Medical tourism / healthcare news

DUBAI: Crown Prince launches new medical tourism initiative in Dubai

Sheikh Hamdam, Crown Prince of Dubai summoned the top officials of various government and private sector bodies to a weekend meeting where he...

Tinnitus patients to benefit from first effective treatment following clinical trial

Relief from the symptoms of tinnitus could soon be available for the thousands of people who suffer from chronically disabling form of the problem...

MIDDLE EAST, GULF: GCC residents highly satisfied with access to healthcare

Dissatisfaction with healthcare at home is a prime driver of medical tourism, so it is interesting to see how people in different countries in the...

GLOBAL: Medical Tourism Facts and Figures 2012

A major new independent report takes a look at what is happening in the world of medical tourism, and gives guidance as to where the future...

UAE: Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah look to attract medical tourists

While Dubai is the focus of attention, it should not be forgotten that it is only one of the seven states within the UAE. Abu Dhabi and Ras Al...

MIDDLE EAST: The winds of change will affect Middle-East medical tourism

There are already signs that the winds of change in the Middle East will affect medical tourism, but in each country the effects may...

MIDDLE EAST: Impact of the Arab Spring on medical tourism trade in 2011

The Middle East lost five million tourists last year due to the impact of the Arab Spring, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. New...

SAUDI ARABIA: New hospitals and health tourism project in Saudi Arabia

Brazilian construction company Braengel has been chosen to design a $500m complex including a hospital and a five star hotel in Riyadh. The project...

GLOBAL: Which countries do people select as a medical tourism destination?

Working out which nationalities go where for medical treatment is an intriguing question. Speaking at a recent medical tourism seminar at the...

GLOBAL: New medical tourism certificate of quality for hospitals

Hospitals involved with medical tourism are offered an array of third party accreditation and certification services, ranging from detailed...

ABU DHABI: Hospital development will remove need for locals to go elsewhere, and attract medical tourists

Mubadala Healthcare, a unit of Mubadala Development Company, has announced the structural completion of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, adding that it is...

MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA: Medical tourism hit hard by Arab Spring

Medical tourism in Jordan is being hit hard by the regional turmoil. Awni Bashir of the Private Hospitals Association recently told local reporters...

SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia sees health tourism potential

According to the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA), a record number of 22.7 million tourists visited Saudi Arabia last year, spending...

JORDAN, OMAN, DUBAI: Unrest in Middle East impacts medical tourism

Regional unrest is affecting several Middle East countries on trade, travel and medical tourism. According to Fawzi Hammouri, former Private...

DUBAI, UAE: Latest attempt to promote Dubai Healthcare City as medical tourism destination

A new authority will oversee Dubai Healthcare City and seek to boost the UAE as a medical tourism destination. The Dubai Healthcare City Authority...

UK: New London agency could promote medical tourism

London & Partners, a new single agency with a remit to attract tourism, inward investment and international students to the UK capital has been...

CAYMAN ISLANDS, BAHAMAS: Offshore financial centres as medical tourism destinations

Offshore finance has been the subject of increased attention from US and European governments. Most offshore centres are losing out to major...

JAMAICA, BARBADOS, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, GUYANA, ST KITTS AND NEVIS : Caribbean islands investigating potential of medical tourism

Jamaica tourism minister Edmund Bartlett says efforts are underway to use medical tourism to diversify Jamaica's tourism product, and bring in much...

TAIWAN: Private partnerships seen as key in promoting medical tourism to Taiwan

Taiwan's private sector is trying to involve more industries in its effort to promote medical tourism, with the latest trial drawing interest from a...

IRELAND: New dental patient information for Irish customers

The Dental Council of Ireland has launched guidance documents for dental patients. A guide to assist members of the public in choosing a dentist at...

INDIA: Controversy over Delhi superbug returns to haunt medical tourism in India

Controversy over a superbug has returned to haunt medical tourism in India following the latest claims made by British medical journal, The Lancet. A...

INDIA: Indian government agrees not to add new service tax on healthcarefor now

To the immense relief of the local medical tourism industry, the Indian state government has agreed not to impose the 5% service tax on healthcare...

MIDDLE EAST, GULF, NORTH AFRICA: News from the Middle East and Gulf regions

All private hospitals in Qatar must be accredited by an internationally recognised body within the next four years, says the Supreme Council of...

GLOBAL: Free widgets for medical tourism and medical travel news

Interested in using IMTJ content on your own website? IMTJ can now provide free widgets for medical tourism and medical travel news. International...

UAE: First TEMOS accredited dental clinic in the Middle East - GMC Dental Centre

Temos GmbH, a German based organization that specializes in quality assessment and certification of hospitals and dental clinics worldwide, has...

GERMANY, SAUDI ARABIA: Growth in inbound and outbound medical tourism

The Saudi Arabian market for both inbound and outbound medical tourism continues to grow, and a top destination for outbound Saudis is Germany. Lutz...

BAHRAIN: Bahrain competes with Jordan and the UAE for medical tourists

Bahrain, with its proximity to Europe, believes it has the potential to become one of the best medical tourism destinations along with the UAE and...

JORDAN: Jordan is the Middle East leader in medical tourism

According to a recent analysis by business experts Oxford Business Group, Jordan is fast turning medical tourism into a mainstay of the kingdom's...

MIDDLE EAST: Can Middle East countries stem the flow of outbound medical tourists?

Several Middle East countries have worked hard and been encouraged to see themselves as major medical tourism destinations. But despite development...

GLOBAL, INDIA: Fortis Healthcare expanding across the world

Fortis Healthcare has global ambitions. In October they agreed to buy the healthcare assets of Hong Kong-based Quality HealthCare Asia and had...

GERMANY: German health and wellness tourism targets Middle East

The Middle East is one of the largest potential source markets of patients due to the high costs of healthcare and limited facilities in some states....

GLOBAL: Top ten global spa trends for 2011

SpaFinder, the global spa and wellness resource, has identified global spa trends that will influence experiences for consumers and the industry in...

GLOBAL: Improving efficiency of delivery is key to curbing spiralling healthcare costs

Governments must make their health care systems more efficient if they are to maintain quality of care without putting further stress on public...

SWITZERLAND: Swiss attract Russians and Arabs to Alpine hospitals

Switzerland is targeting wealthy Russians who ski at top resorts to visit the country for anything from a health check to full surgery. There are no...

KUWAIT/SAUDI ARABIA/ BAHRAIN/IRAN: Mixed news for medical tourism in the Middle East

In Kuwait, according to reports in the local media, Ministry of Health officials have found that dozens of Kuwaitis were improperly referred for...

DUBAI: Dubai Healthcare City celebrates but local hospitals fail inspections

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), the world's first integrated healthcare free zone, has successfully completed eight years of operations. DHCC provides...

USA: Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic compete for medical tourists

Cleveland Clinic has launched an international website focused on providing Middle Eastern visitors with streamlined access to information on...

GLOBAL: Indian hospital accreditation programme goes global

India's national hospital accreditation programme- National Accreditation Board for Hospital (NABH), run and managed by the Quality Council of India,...

UNITED KINGDOM: Medical tourism to the UK

A new analysis of UK inbound tourism reveals useful figures on medical tourism, and spa/wellness tourism. The UK is the sixth most visited...

INDIA: Where do Indian medical tourists come from?

The International Wellness and Healthcare Travel Association (IWHTA) recently analysed where Indian medical tourists come from. Their analysis...

BAHAMAS: Medical travel opportunities in the Bahamas

Medical travel is a central feature of the Bahamas' future tourism expansion strategy. Bahamas Law Chambers has successfully obtained approval from...

SLOVAKIA: Slovakia quietly expanding in health tourism

Countries involved in health and medical tourism vary enormously; some have a high profile about what they do; others have a high profile on what...

GERMANY: Medical travel to Germany made easy - Lufthansa German airlines and Premier Healthcare Germany enter into cooperation for patient mobility in healthcare

Frankfurt/Hamburg – Germany - Travelling to Germany for medical reasons has just become as easy as visiting your local doctor. High quality medical...

INDIA, SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA : Fortis and Khazanah in bidding war for Parkway Holdings

Fortis Healthcare, India's second largest healthcare chain, has offered US $2.3 billion, for the three-quarters of the Asian hospital operator...

JORDAN, KUWAIT: Improving medical tourism quality in the Middle East

Jordan's Ministry of Health is setting up a new directorate to monitor the Kingdom's medical tourism sector. The directorate aims to address any...

DUBAI: Dubai Healthcare City seeks to make Dubai a global health care destination

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) is under new management. DHCC parent Dubai Holding has had problems and has restructured. Tatweer, who used to manage...

MALTA: Malta targets medical tourism

Malta is preparing to launch the introductory phase of marketing the country as a medical tourism destination and discussions with all the relevant...

UK: Trent hospital accreditation system reborn as QHA

One of the respected international hospital accreditors, Trent Accreditation System, recently had an unexpected shock. The UK government has to find...

GLOBAL: Wellness tourism is not a passing fad

Wellness is sometimes represented as a passing fad or niche market, but a major study conducted by SRI International (SRI) reveals that the yearly...

GLOBAL: Stem cell therapy and research still in its infancy

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has called for greater transparency and open evaluation of stem cell therapies. It is...

PUERTO RICO: Medical tourism hotel chain seeks investors

Puerto Rican entrepreneur Michael Redondo is looking for investors from any country to invest in the first medical tourism hotel chain in Puerto...

INDIA:Suggestions for improving Indian medical tourism

Visas need to be issued faster, and infrastructure upgraded to international standards for India to tap the medical tourism market, which it stands...

EUROPE: EU adopts new rules on organ transplants

People needing organ transplants should face shorter waiting times after the European Parliament approved a draft directive on quality and safety...

Thailand promotes health tourism to Middle East markets

In addition to the “Amazing Thailand, Amazing Value” marketing pitch, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is promoting health and wellness,...

American has gall bladder surgery in India

Six months ago, after a few bouts of gall bladder pain, self-employed IT consultant David Cook received bad news from his Atlanta doctors: his gall...

Energy regeneration programme for cancer patients

An Indian clinic, Kerala Panchakarma Center, has designed a holistic health care package for cancer patients. An energy regeneration programme will...

Budapest is one of best destinations for dental treatment in Europe

There is an increase of people traveling abroad for dental treatment. In some European countries, dental treatment has become so costly that the...

New anniversary package at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz

Swiss health retreat Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is offering a very special anniversary package to celebrate the one year anniversary of its ultra modern...

Singapore performs surgeries without scars

Surgeons in Singapore are taking keyhole surgery to new levels with just one strategic cut and no visible scarring. The new face of advanced surgery...

Bestcancerhospitalindia launches online service

Bestcancerhospitalindia.com, a new online portal, offers a unique guide to the best cancer care facilities in India that offer world class quality of...

Lockton launches insurance for medical tourism

An insurance broker Lockton Singapore has launched an insurance product to cover the cost of medical complications for medical travellers receiving...

Singapore's first Banyan Tree Spa to open at Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands has added another world-class brand to enhance its guests' experiences. After more than a decade spent amassing a portfolio of...

The Gachon Brain Health Center is JCI accredited

The Gachon Brain Health Center at Gachon University Gill Hospital in South Korea has become the world's first brain health center to win JCI...

THAILAND: Warnings To Medical Travellers Going To Thailand

From an assistance company based in Thailand - Asian Assistance (Thailand) Large scale political demonstrations have been occurring in Bangkok since...

Tunisian stand in Paris attracts large numbers of visitors

A Tunisian stand at a health tourism exhibition in Paris attracted a large number of visitors. Tunisia is the world's second destination for spas and...

Turkey promotes health tourism

The Turkish Health Tourism Organisation (TUHETO) has been and will be promoting health tourism to Turkey at a number of events in Ukraine, Dubai,...

Kreativ Dental Clinic launches 3D virtual tours online

A leading American-owned dental clinic in Hungary has launched its new 3D virtual tours. Kreativ Dental Clinic offers a variety of affordable dentist...

Revitalise body and soul in Korea

Part of the appeal of Korea is the many opportunities for visitors to re-energise both body and soul through some inspirational experiences. Using...

Sheehan Medical to open Cork Medical Centre

Private hospital operator Sheehan Medical will open their latest facility, the Cork Medical Centre, in June. It will be the first new private...

Chiangmai Ram Hospital gets JCI accreditation

Chiangmai Ram Hospital in Maung, Chiangmai, is the latest hospital in Thailand to achieve international JCI accreditation. It is the first...

Patients Beyond Borders focuses on Barbados Fertility Center

Patients Beyond Borders, a consumer reference guide for medical tourism has issued a FOCUS ON: Barbados Fertility Center. This is a 32-page,...

Warwick International Hotels welcomes Italian spa hotel

Warwick International Hotels, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, welcomes to its collection a new spa-hotel in Italy: Borgo La Bagnaia...

Gulf Medical University opens international patient centre

GMC Hospital Ajman is one of the leading private medical providers in the United Arab Emirates. The hospital has been a first choice destination for...

Kuala Lumpur HeartCare medical centre opens

Kuala Lumpur HeartCare medical centre (KLHC) in Plaza Sentral is already attracting five to 10 patients a day, although it has the capacity to handle...

Hotels Worldwide introduces W Retreat & Spa on Vieques Island

Amid the undiscovered beauty and tranquility of Vieques Island, eight miles off the coast of Puerto Rico, W has opened its first retreat and spa in...

Bumrungrad in partnership to build new Hong Kong hospital

Hong Kong-based Asia Financial Holdings and Bangkok-based Bumrungrad International, recently submitted a bid to build a US$385 million 350-bed...

South Korea targets Middle East medical tourists

Korea has been a popular destination for patients from Asian countries, but its expertise in medical tourism has so far been underappreciated in...

Stem cell research forges ahead in Ecuador

South American destinations such as Ecuador are joining stem cell research communities around the world in seeking stem cell therapies and treatments...

UAE hospitals get international accreditation

The Airport Road branch of Al Noor Hospital in Abu Dhabi received global accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI), a recognised...

The UK's first comprehensive private Molecular Imaging Centre opens in Harley Street

The HCA CancerCare network now has the most comprehensive technology platform in Europe The UK's first private fully comprehensive molecular imaging...

Hong Kong hospitals seek international accreditation

Five public hospitals and three private hospitals have begun a three-year pilot scheme, to obtain international accreditation that is expected to...

Treatment overseas showcased at London consumer health tourism exhibition

Destination Health is a free to enter consumer health tourism exhibition being held on the 18th and 19th of April at the Olympia Exhibition and...

London clinic to offer new cancer screening

A specialist Breast Clinic on London's prestigious Harley Street is to become the first in Europe to offer a new blood based screening test for...

Lebanon attracts Arab cosmetic surgery travellers

Hazmieh International Medical Centre (HIMC) in Lebanon is attracting many women seeking cosmetic surgery. The clinic is part of a project run by the...

Surgical Bliss offers medical tourism packages in Cape Town

Cape Town based medical tourism agency Surgical Bliss offers medical tourism packages in Cape Town, South Africa. If you need to have reconstructive...

Gorgeous Getaways offers weight loss retreat

Australian medical tourism agency Gorgeous Getaways now offers a wellness and weight loss retreat in Kuala Lumpur. It is a highly structured,...

Another year of firsts at Taiwan's Min-Sheng Hospital

Min-Sheng General Hospital, is reaccredited JCI and obtains the JCI CCPC seal of approval for its Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 and Chronic Kidney Disease...

Jerudong Park Medical Centre targets medical tourists

While Brunei Darussalam is not in a position to contemplate becoming a major medical tourism destination, by virtue of the small size of its domestic...

MEDICO Services now represents many Thai health resorts

MEDICO Management and Travel Services International is a health tourism agency, based in Bangkok. It was launched in April 2009 and now has...

British woman goes to Germany for cancer treatment

Janet Ashmore from Staffordshire was forced to pay to go overseas for pioneering cancer treatment in Germany after her local NHS refused to pay for...

Champneys Marbella to launch in early 2011

UK spa group Champneys has teamed with development company Casa Nita SL to extend its offering to Marbella, Spain. Champneys Marbella will be...

New Taiwan Medi-Travel guide

As part of the 2010 Taiwan Medical Travel Initiative, Formosa Travel & Holidays, Australia's leading Taiwan specialist travel agency has launched a...

Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur welcomes patients from Singapore

Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur is among the 12 Malaysian private healthcare providers to benefit from Singapore's move to allow its citizens to use...

American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital gains international accreditation

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital (AACSH) in the Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) healthcare free zone has achieved Joint Commission...

HealthTraveler is world's first mobile app for medical tourism

Healthy Travel Media, publishers of the Patients Beyond Borders series, is launching HealthTraveler, the first mobile application that allows...

AHS Khalifa Healthcare Center receives JCI accreditation

Ambulatory Healthcare Services (AHS), a member of Abu Dhabi Health Services Co. (SEHA), has had its Khalifa Healthcare Center in Abu Dhabi accredited...

Fertility treatment overseas showcased at London consumer health tourism exhibition

Destination Health is a free to enter consumer health tourism exhibition being held on the 18th and 19th of April at the Olympia Exhibition and...

SHA Wellness Clinic wins Conde Nast Traveller 2010 best medical spa

The seventh annual Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Spa Awards selected SHA Wellness Clinic as number one in the category of medical, thermal and...

Rashid Hospital receives international accreditation for cardiology

Rashid Hospital is the only hospital in the Middle East to get a disease specific certification in cardiology from the Joint Commission International...

Singapore adopts advanced genetic engineering in orthopedic surgery

Singapore is one of the first countries in Asia to utilize innovations in genetic science and medicine in the field of orthopedics with highly...

The only European hospital outside Switzerland with Swiss accreditation

SC Medicina is the largest clinic in Moscow and has become the only clinic in Russia to meet the requirements of Swiss Leading Hospitals. 300 doctors...

Hadi Clinic celebrates international accreditation

Hadi Clinic in Hawally, Kuwait now joins the worldwide group of accredited hospitals and confirms its place as one of the leading providers of...

Surgery overseas showcased at London consumer health tourism exhibition

Destination Health is a free to enter consumer health tourism exhibition being held on the 18th and 19th of April at the Olympia Exhibition and...

MALAYSIA: Malaysia plans expansion of medical tourism industry

Malaysia's healthcare services are set to undergo a radical transformation as the country gears up to raise standards in the sector with new...

Cosmetic surgery overseas showcased at London consumer health tourism exhibition

Destination Health is a free to enter consumer health tourism exhibition being held on the 18th and 19th of April at the Olympia Exhibition and...

The Dorchester Spa and Calcot Spa named best in UK by Conde Nast Traveller

Condé Nast Traveller readers voted The Dorchester Spa as the favourite UK hotel spa, and ranked it 12th in the world, the top ranking in the UK. ...

German Orthopaedic Hospital opens in Bahrain

Venture Capital Bank has opened the German Orthopaedic Hospital in Bahrain. The hospital occupies the 3rd floor of the Bahrain Medical Centre in...

Prince Court Medical Center is first on Patients Beyond Borders FOCUS ON series

Patients Beyond Borders, a consumer reference guide for medical tourism, has launched the first of a series focusing on top international...

Bangkok Hospital receives DCSC certification

The set of standards known as Disease or Condition-Specific Care (DCSC) certification is designed to evaluate and certify excellence in clinical...

Six Senses opens Paris spa

Six Senses has opened their first Six Senses Spa in Paris. Six Senses rue de Castiglione is a stunning urban chic sanctuary showcasing beautiful...

Treatment in Germany

A new medical tourism website is promoting the benefits of treatment in Germany. Details of hospitals and clinics are not on the website itself, but...

Cyprus4health launches new medical tourism website for Cyprus

Cyprus4health is a medical tourism platform that has been established by healthcare professionals to promote the healthcare industry of Cyprus....

Tawam Hospital maintains JCI accreditation

Tawam Hospital has once again received international accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI). The JCI improves the quality of...

Absolute Sanctuary expands in Thailand

The Moroccan inspired boutique wellness resort that specializes in detox, spa and yoga holiday programmes is expanding with the construction of a new...

New brand identity for HMC

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has launched a new corporate brand identity to reflect the organisation's rich heritage, significant achievements and...

RAK Hospital performs the first angioplasty surgery in UAE

RAK Hospital has successfully performed an angioplasty procedure; the first of its kind in the northern emirates. The procedure was the first-ever...

Apollo opens at Lavasa

Apollo Hospitals has opened its first state-of-the-art integrated healthcare and wellness centre, the Apollo Hospital Lavasa. The 100-bed hospital is...

Samsung Medical Center to open in Dubai

The first Samsung Medical Center in the Middle East will open in Dubai Health Care City in March. It is the first time the group has opened outside...

Top ten world's best hospitals for medical tourists

The Medical Travel and Health Tourism Quality Alliance (MTQUA) has chosen what it believes to be the top ten worldwide hospitals for medical tourism,...

Hotel Amigo and Mediaway partner to offer medical packages for Middle East travellers

Mediaway,the medical bridge between Belgium and the Arab World, has teamed up with The Rocco Forte Collection's Hotel Amigo in Brussels, along with...

GLOBAL: Best ten hospitals for medical tourism

The Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA) has issued its first list of the top ten world's best hospitals for medical tourists and has named Fortis...

JORDAN: Jordan's medical tourism industry enjoys growth

According to the latest figures issued by the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), Jordan's revenues from medical tourism sector in...

Jaipur is an upcoming wellness destination

The Indian district of Jaipur is attracting wellness tourism with high-end spa and wellness centres, targeting people going to The Commonwealth...

Mexico becomes attractive for hip replacement surgery

Mexico is well-known to Americans for low-price dental and cosmetic surgery, but not so well-known for hip replacement surgery. As Mexico's...

How safe is dentistry abroad?

Daniel Shaw of Dental Holiday Clinic in Piestany says the two most asked questions are “How much will the dental treatment cost?” and “Can I trust...

Cancer suffering toddler needs help to travel for treatment

The Deller family, who have a son with a rare form of cancer, recently travelled to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York for...

Bone Marrow transplants in Bangalore at affordable low cost

Bone Marrow transplant hospitals in Bangalore have been carefully selected by agency We Care India, to ensure that partner hospital transplant teams...

Specialist travel insurer for Destination Health

PJ Hayman will be promoting travel insurance for people planning to travel abroad for medical treatment. Travel insurance specialist PJ Hayman has...

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