Medical tourism, defined as traveling to a different country solely for healthcare services, can be a significant income generator for any nation provided it is properly managed.
Frequently motivated by reduced expenses or access to medical procedures unavailable in their home countries, this practice has evolved into an international business. Individuals from different nations travel to locations such as India, Turkey, Thailand, and Mexico for treatment.
Although it presents advantages such as reduced costs and availability of specialized treatments, several potential hazards must be taken into account, including linguistic obstacles, standards of medical attention, and the possibility of illness spread.
Driven by the desire to successfully advance medical tourism in Africa, specifically in Ghana where they aspire to position the nation as a central point for health services in Western Africa, the African Medical Tourism Council (AMTC) was established two years ago. This council aims to forge international partnerships among healthcare facilities, travel companies, and various stakeholders. Their objective is to facilitate collaboration between nations through shared insights, exemplary procedures, and joint efforts in research and development, all geared towards boosting medical tourism within the region.
Asserting that it should be considered a "national asset with its worth deeply rooted in the cooperative work among healthcare institutions, travel assistance, and concierge services," Dr. Koby Appiah-Sakyi, the founding president, emphasizes that now is the moment to set up a center where all key participants can collaborate effectively. This coordination will help build a robust, enduring, and thriving medical tourism sector.
Recently, ATMC associates convened at the Royal Beulah Hotel in East Legon to outline their strategy moving ahead. Pa John Dadson examines the outcomes from this gathering and explores what lies in store for the sector within Ghana. \xa0
In Africa, apart from South Africa which dominates much of the medical tourism sector, Ghana – located in West Africa – holds tremendous potential. It represents an untapped goldmine awaiting exploitation!
The typical expenditure for the approximately 1 million visitors to Ghana, excluding air travel to and from the country, amounts to around $1200. In contrast, the average spending of a medical tourist visiting Ghana is roughly $5000.
This is a conservative estimation. Currently, roughly forty thousand tourists visit Ghana annually for medical treatment. The number could readily increase fourfold to 180,000 if Ghana makes a concerted effort to promote this sector of its tourism industry.
It has been determined since the establishment of the African Medical Tourism Council that medical tourism holds significant promise as a lucrative income generator for nations as a whole. This can only be achieved through collaboration between governmental bodies and private sector entities working jointly to develop this specialized field.
No single corporation, organization, or person can adequately promote the sector on their own to ensure success for just one nation, much less an entire continent.
When fostering medical tourism, you essentially advertise the entire nation rather than just specific healthcare institutions, similar to how we market vacation getaways. Consequently, it is crucial for the government to prioritize this sector as an essential part of their 'tourism offerings.' Failing to do so would be missing the main objective.
Essentially, matching the private sector's qualifications and goals with governmental strategies would mean that the government needs to take an active role in financing promotional activities for Ghana's tourism offerings at key international expos and during roadshows. This investment could significantly enhance the nation's standing as a leading destination for medical tourism.
For example, in Asia, out of the 15 million annual tourist arrivals in Thailand—a nation renowned globally for its warmth and hospitality—approximately 5 million visitors are drawn specifically for health-related tourism.
The trend began in the 1980s and gained significant momentum in the 1990s, experiencing exponential growth since then. For instance, Bumrungrad International Hospital welcomes an astounding 1.1 million patients annually.
Initially centered around cosmetic procedures, their scope has now expanded to encompass various sectors of healthcare. The government supports this initiative through internationally backed promotion campaigns such as ' Amazing Thailand'!
BIH collaborates with travel agencies to offer their services globally—a holiday combined with a medical examination! They provide an extensive medical concierge service aimed at enhancing the value of the high-quality offerings and amenities that Thailand boasts. Within the Asian market, they stand out as the premier destination.
On the contrary, in Ghana, all tourism promotion initiatives focus on general leisure and recreation. Despite this, there appear to be insufficient resources for extensive international marketing efforts. However, there is a substantial market within just the Western African sub-region that could be effectively targeted.
At present, Ghanaians with sufficient means are seeking healthcare at medical institutions and locations abroad in Europe and beyond. The aim of AMTC is to recognize and establish the growth of medical tourism (MT) as a crucial national objective.
"By collaborating, we achieve more with fewer resources," asserts Dr. Koby Appiah-Sakyi, the president of AMTC, who led the stakeholder meeting in Accra.
The purpose of the meeting was to evaluate the progress made leading up to "turning medical tourism into a major income generator for Ghana," which is set as the primary objective for the council with Ghana being the inaugural focal nation.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), headed by their Corporate Affairs Director, along with members from the Ghana Investment Promotion Company (GIPC), Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), and the Ghana Progressive Hotels Association. Additionally, several important tourism and health care organizations also participated.
To date, the AMTC has been operating from a modest office funded primarily by subscriptions and individual contributions. During the gathering, these points were underscored, paving the way for fresh concepts aimed at enhancing outcomes via partnership.
Dr. Appiah-Sakyi observes, “In addition to requiring a video documentary that narrates our story in both English and French, our foremost requirement and top priority is establishing a facility—a 'center'—from which we can manage and more effectively organize our initiatives.”
At present, we are actively seeking out non-medical service providers such as Allied Tourism Services, who form part of an executive committee tasked with supervising operational activities. This team has helped establish service protocols and codes of conduct specifically tailored for healthcare institutions and their non-healthcare counterparts. To date, several prominent healthcare facility partners have agreed to these terms by signing Memorandums of Understanding committing them to uphold these standards.
The executive committee has already journeyed initially to Nigeria and subsequently to Turkey to evaluate how Ghana measures up. In their visit, they discovered that it is a robust collaborative effort involving both governmental bodies and public as well as private healthcare institutions that is generating substantial income for Turkey.
That is the direction AMTC aims to take.
In West Africa, Ghana’s healthcare sector is often praised for its notable progress, particularly due to several modern medical institutions that provide cutting-edge care and technology.
Ghana has many positive aspects. It stands out as a reputable nation known for its robust democracy and well-developed healthcare system, capable of attracting patients from across the Western African region. To capitalize on this potential, all that is required is a focused effort to promote the country as a leading destination for medical tourism globally.
“We shouldn’t operate in isolation,” stresses Dr. Appiah-Sakyi. “Collaboration and forming partnerships are essential for reaching our objectives. There’s no other way to do it.”
It is essential to boost Ghana’s appeal as a hub for medical treatment, alongside improving and broadening the capacities of the country’s healthcare institutions to deliver advanced services that cater to African patients who currently seek care in Europe and Asia.
In conclusion, our priority should be fostering the construction and growth of premier healthcare institutions akin to those found in Asia and South Africa. Additionally, we need to devise consistent and impactful promotional tactics to advertise these facilities.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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