Why Medical Tourism Agents And Facilitators Are Doing So Well

By Douglas McDonald


An astonishing number of people still die every year, suffering from conditions that can most certainly be treated successfully. In some countries, treatment is available but very expensive. In other countries no facilities are available. In yet others, the health system is utterly overloaded, resulting in extremely long waiting lists. Many of these patients know that they do not have time to wait. That is why they as medical tourism agents and facilitators to help them find treatment in another country.

People have travelled for treatment purposes since the earliest times. Some healers had a reputation that spread across the known world and people would travel very long distances to seek help and advice. For many patients this form of travelling turned into a kind of quest. People also travelled to places that were said to have healing powers. To this day many tourists visit sites with a reputation of healing certain conditions.

Today, people travel abroad from treatment because of various reasons. Many countries simply do not have sophisticated health systems and citizens find that life saving treatment that they need is simply not available. They have no option but to seek help in another country. In other countries the facilities are limited and waiting lists are very long. These patients have few options.

There are also some wealthy patients that do have access to treatment in their own country, but who wish to seek treatment at a very specific facility or by a very specific specialist renowned for his successes in his field. These patients are willing to pay very large sums of money to obtain the best treatment that is available, regardless of where they have to go in order to get it.

Some patients travel for treatment even though they have very little money. This is because their meagre funds will not pay for treatment in their own country, but after taking into consideration a highly favourable exchange rate, will most certainly pay for the treatment in a country with a weak currency. In this way they can, for the money they have, get better treatment abroad than at home.

Critics say that the current system is corrupt. Greedy specialists and hospitals charge their foreign patients a fortune because they know how desperate they are. In exchange for these large sums, the patient is promised speedy treatment and the utmost discretion. In addition, other, local, patients often have to wait longer because these cash rich foreigners get preferential treatment. The entire issue should be subject to much stricter laws and rules.

If one does not know exactly which specialist one want to consult, the use of an agent or facilitator to arrange matters can be risky. It is vital to make sure that the agent knows the medical specialists involved and that they can provide prove of the fact that the recommended specialist is not just reputable but also able to provide references. The agent should also handle all the legal requirements for this type of travel.

Those facing a certain death unless specific treatment is obtained are often desperate. Such patients will go to any lengths to get what they need, even if they have to circumvent some laws and regulations. Reputable agents and facilitators will not aid their clients in this manner.




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