Is the Philippines ready to become the world's next medical and health tourism hub?

According to Undersecretary Cynthia Carrion of the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Office for Sports and Wellness Tourism, the Philippines has plenty to offer tourists seeking a foreign country that can take care of their medical and health needs.

Compared to Thailand which has been in the health tourism business for 25 years, the Philippines only began showcasing the country as a premier Asian destination for medical, health and wellness tourism in 2006.

In less than three years, medical tourism, one of the eight services identified under health tourism, already brought $350 million in estimated gross revenue since the campaign started.

“In 2008, the number of foreign patients who sought medical services in the Philippines significantly rose to about 100,000 from 60,000 in 2007,” Carrion said during the 4th World Health Tourism Congress last March 26-28.

By 2012, the government is optimistic that the Philippines can earn $3 billion as well as an inbound rate of at least 200,000 foreign patients annually.

“Health tourism is going to save our country. We predict by 2012, we’re going to make $3 billion if we continue what we’re doing… This will trickle down [to other sectors as well],” Carrion said.

World-class facilities

Carrion said the Philippines is fast becoming a major player in the medical and health tourism market despite stiff competition from countries such as Singapore, Thailand and India.

In terms of quality of health services and safety of the patients, Carrion boasted that the hospital facilities in the country are world-class. Philippine hospitals can also accommodate a big number of medical travelers, or those seeking medical care outside their country of origin.

Since Filipinos are innately caring and compassionate, the emotional needs of the patients are also being looked after, she said.

The ability of the Filipinos to communicate clearly in English is also an advantage for the country. “For a health traveler, seeking competent and compassionate care, this attribute can only inspire confidence and security,” Carrion said.

The cost of getting medical treatment in the Philippines is also very competitive. Millet Escasinas, manager of The Medical City’s relationship management and business development, said foreign patients can save a substantial amount if they opt to have their treatment here.

Carrion said at least 100 buyers, or those who send their clients abroad for their health needs, traveled from as far as Europe to attend the recent World Health Tourism Congress .“[This was] bigger than the previous years. We thought it would be smaller, one, because of the crisis, two, the Europeans don’t want to travel so far, but they did,” Carrion said.

Broader range of health services needed

Dr. Constantine Constantinides, health tourism integration expert, said the Philippines need to widen the number of medical and health services for foreigners in order to compete against competitors such as the Caribbean region and Cyprus.

Constantinides identified eight segments under health tourism. These are medical tourism, dental, spa and health therapy, wellness and fitness, sports, culinary, accessible tourism and assistant residential tourism.

He said that by having eight segments, the country addresses a broader and larger market and creates scale for the industry, which inspires confidence. He also said the broader range of health services is an insurance policy for the country.

“[If] maybe medical tourism is down, if you invested only in medical tourism, you have nothing left... Should one demand [for a certain segment] diminish, you have seven others to keep you going…. If you provide an increased choice, you’re going to find an increased demand,” Constantinides pointed out.

He also advised that in order to be competitive a nation must “develop what you already have in terms of human and other resources, develop your alliances” and “create something the client wants.”

“Health tourism is changing; west revenge is coming. People are losing clients to other countries and they are not taking it sitting down. They’ve already started to react effectively,” he said.