| China has been a late bloomer in medical tourism. | | | | Chinese political leaders like to call China a "developing |
| China is a popular tourist destination, but not a | | | | nation." There is a pragmatic reason for this |
| popular destination for medical tourism. There are | | | | self-depreciation by Chinese leaders. China hopes to |
| several reasons why. Quality and safety are more | | | | continue to receive favorable trading treatment from |
| important issues than price when it comes to medical | | | | the rest of the world, and not be pressured to cut |
| tourism. China's reputation in both quality and safety | | | | back on pollution during this "developing stage." One |
| has not been stellar in the past. It will take a long | | | | should not mistake this political rhetoric for fact. In |
| time to develop a solid record of good performance | | | | reality China is no longer a "third world" country. China |
| adequate to convince the public to trust the medical | | | | is well along the path of becoming a first world |
| system in China. | | | | nation. The Chinese people are highly literate, even |
| In recent years Chinese officials have been greatly | | | | more so than the people of the USA. Technologically |
| embarrassed numerous times over serious health and | | | | China is among the more developed nations on earth |
| safety issues that brought international negative | | | | today. In some areas China actually leads the world. |
| attention to China. The good news is that the | | | | One such area is MAGLEV train technology. Japan and |
| Chinese are determined to overcome this negative | | | | Germany both beat China in the MAGLEV |
| image. The American approach to improving a | | | | development race, but only China has put MAGLEV |
| negative image would commonly be the "Madison | | | | trains in commercial service. America has plans to build |
| Avenue" approach. The Chinese approach does not | | | | them, and other countries have the ability to do so, |
| focus on rebranding, public relations, advertising, focus | | | | but only China actually did it and has them in |
| groups, etc. China is attacking the problem at its | | | | commercial service today. Things get done in China. |
| core, in a head-on manner. When a mistake is made | | | | "This is nice, but what's in it for me?" The answer is |
| in China, and health and safety is jeopardized by that | | | | value. Medical tourists can find good value for their |
| mistake, those who are determined to be responsible | | | | money in China today. Sure there are risks. There is |
| are punished. In America when they say "heads will | | | | no such thing as foolproof medical care anywhere. |
| roll" it is a euphemism that means those responsible | | | | Any medical treatment anywhere invokes a |
| may be demoted or lose their jobs. In China when | | | | "cost-benefit ratio." I would recommend China for |
| they say "heads will roll" they mean it literally. | | | | medical tourists who are seeking procedures that |
| The global economic meltdown has intensified | | | | tend to be low risk, such as cosmetic surgery and |
| competition for a reduced pool of buyers and | | | | liposuction. These low risk procedures are where the |
| consumers. China has long been cost competitive, but | | | | cost-benefit ratio gives China a big advantage. |
| lacking in quality. China is changing, with a new focus | | | | Finally on the "tourism" part of medical tourism, China |
| on becoming quality competitive. This bodes well for | | | | has a lot to offer too. China is not only the most |
| the future of medical tourism in China. It is hard to | | | | populous country on earth but also a rather large |
| beat the prices in China. Chinese medical services are | | | | country, about the size of the "lower 48" (the USA |
| rapidly improving in quality and safety. | | | | minus Alaska). The more common tourist spots are |
| The USA arguably has the highest quality health care | | | | the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and The Summer |
| system in the world. Yet even in America thousands | | | | Palace. In addition to these many tourists these days |
| of patients die every year because of mistakes | | | | are exploring a bit more, in out of the way places all |
| made by their health care providers. To err is human. | | | | over China. For example, the beaches around Sanya, |
| Even with all the safeguards, regulations, checks and | | | | Hainan Island rival those of Hawaii. The beaches on |
| balances in place in the USA, health care providers still | | | | Hainan Island are not yet so well known outside of |
| manage to make plenty of mistakes in America. | | | | China, but there are a few international hotels there |
| There is a silver lining in the cloud for medical tourists | | | | now and the popularity especially of Sanya is growing. |
| to China. Medical providers in China are careful to | | | | China extends from the tropics along the |
| avoid mistakes because penalties for mistakes tend | | | | Chinese-Vietnamese border area to the Himalayan |
| to be higher in China. Those responsible for mistakes | | | | Mountain Range along the Western border of China, |
| are held accountable. When it comes to foreign | | | | up to the Gobi Desert, and to Inner Mongolia up |
| patients, extra care and attention are paid to every | | | | north. There is a lot to see in China. Travel inside |
| detail. Foreign patients receive the very highest | | | | China is convenient and inexpensive. |
| quality of care and attention possible. | | | | |