GENERAL HEALTH Medical tourism is currently a billion dollar industry worldwide and many less developed countries are cashing in on unsuspecting, poorly informed people from developed countries, offering these procedures as ‘no frills holiday packages’. Australia is certainly a prime target for promotion of medical tourism for countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Recently, NIB - one of the country’s major private health insurance providers - fl oated the idea of sending their insured clients overseas for surgery, however, as far as I am aware, no defi nite information is provided on how they would organise the follow up of these patients in Australia and specifi cally who would pay for the revision procedures for patients who may need corrective surgery for any complications. It is human nature to look for ‘bargain deals’. This is especially true, when the cost of certain elective or cosmetic procedures in Australia may be considered to be disproportionally higher than the cost of these procedures in less developed countries mentioned above. Australians are pretty fortunate to be living in a country with a very high standard of health service available to most people – that is either paid for in public system or is subsidised by Medicare or a private fund in the private sector. Not many developed countries can boast of such a robust health service that we currently enjoy. Plastic or cosmetic surgery and dental surgery are probably the most targeted areas by the overseas hospitals and medical tourism companies. A staggering number of patients travel on ‘holidays’ to these overseas destinations, have very little work up done, have very little post-operative care provided and have absolutely no follow up organised. Those who have a good result are then used to promote the industry and the unfortunate ones who require further corrective procedures, management of signifi cant infections, or who had poor cosmetic or functional results are largely ignored by the media and the tourism companies. Furthermore, there are no avenues for these patients to complain. The common story is that they can’t even get past the reception desk when they call the hospitals for more information or for advice. What is more alarming is that often there is no adequate documentation and no proper follow up instructions given to these patients. Some of these procedures are almost unethical or illogical. Some patients have told me that the medical tourism operators advised patients that if they had complications they should report it to their GP, who could then refer them to the public hospital and they would be looked after ‘at no further expense’ to them. How convenient! pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 65
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue One
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