Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Medical Tourism Agents And Facilitators Help Patients To Find Treatment Abroad

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.

Travelling long distances to seek treatment is as old as mankind himself. In ancient times, people used to risk many danger and suffer great hardship to seek help from famous healers. Of course, in those times healers were few and far between. People also travelled great distances to visit sites, often bodies of water, that are reputed to have healing power. Many of these sites remain popular to this very day.

There are many different reasons for travelling abroad for treatment. In many cases advanced treatment options are simply not available in the country where the patient resides. In other cases where such treatment is available, there are very long waiting lists. Such patients and their families will go to great lengths to make sure that the necessary treatment is obtained, even if it costs a small fortune.

There are also those that travel for treatment not because the treatment is not available in their own countries, but because they want to be treated by a very specific specialist or in a specific facility. Certain facilities and specialists are world renowned for their success in very focused fields and the wealthy wants treatment from only the very best. For these patients, cost is normally not a factor.

Even patients with modest means often travel abroad for treatment. This is possible because some countries boasting superior medical facilities have weak currencies. A highly favourable exchange rate makes it possible for ordinary middle income individuals to seek superior treatment. The charges may seem high in the currency of the host country, but not to the patient who would never afford the treatment in his own country.

There are those that strongly condemn the practice of travelling abroad for treatment. These critics say that those from affluent countries and that are willing to pay large sums for VIP treatment are corrupting the health systems of the host countries. This is because greedy specialists and medical facilities put their own patients on the back burner in order to earn the lucrative fees offered by foreigners.

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.

When people face death they will go to almost any length to get the treatment that can save their lives. This is not always available in their own countries. It is vital, however, to use only highly respected physicians and facilities.




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