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Medical Tourism Agents And Facilitators Arrange Treatment In Foreign Countries

By Eric Sanders


Fast, reliable and relatively cheap transport has been a major contributor towards making people everywhere more mobile. Travelling abroad is no longer a luxury only affordable by the rich. The majority of people travel in order to see different parts of the world. Yet some people travel for more serious purposes. Desperately ill people often travel to foreign countries to obtain the treatment that can save their lives. Medical tourism agents and facilitators help them to do so.

Travelling long distances for medicinal purposes is not a modern trend. In ancient days, healers were few and far between and patients would suffer great hardship in order to see a particular healer with a reputation for healing others with similar conditions. People do not travel exclusively to see a specific healer, however. They also travel long distances to visit places and structures that are reputed to have healing powers.

In modern times, people travel for various different medicinal purposes. In many cases the treatment that they need is available in their own country, but it is either too expensive or there are extremely long waiting periods. Such patients will then seek help in a different country. In many other cases, patients travel abroad because they want to be attended by a very specific renowned specialist.

The cost of treatment in a foreign country can be extremely high. Patients often have to stay for extended periods of time because they need to undergo tests, then the treatment and there is often a rehabilitation or recuperation period with follow up consultations. Very ill people may need special travel arrangements and they are often accompanied by loved ones. All of these factors can contribute to a very high final bill.

Ironically, lots of people travel for treatment because they cannot afford it in their own countries. Typically, these patients reside in countries with very strong currencies. In countries such as South Africa, for example, there are many excellent treatment facilities but their currency is weak. In this way foreign patients can get much more for the money that they do have.

Critics have slammed the practice of travelling for medical treatment, calling it a serious exploitation of the citizens of poorer countries. Countries like South Africa, for example, have seriously overloaded public health systems and critics say that it is both unfair and unethical for foreigners to receive priority treatment at the cost of local citizens. They say that this practice lead to corruption and greed.

When travelling to a foreign country for medical reasons there are numerous arrangements to be made. Specialists and hospitals or clinics have to be booked. Accommodation must be arranged, local travel need to be organized and in many cases rehabilitation facilities need to be found. In addition, many countries have strict laws regulating this type of tourism. It is therefore very important to use an agent that has extensive experience in this field.

It is not surprising that people that are desperately ill or have loved ones that are seriously ill will go to great lengths to seek a remedy. However, such treatment should never be at the cost of another patient. It is vital to abide by the rules and laws of the host country.




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