Posted by: eddyeddie on: February 5, 2009
At first, Medical Tourism sounds like an absurd idea to me: How can one enjoy a holiday after or before an operation? I have always been very skeptical about this idea, but since this industry is still blossoming, maybe I should do some research and find out why people want to travel abroad for surgeries. So I started looking for websites about Medical Tourism with the aim to find the estimated costs of surgery in different countries. I believe that in today’s world, actual figures are more persuasive than simple conclusions. When you do a comparison, you have to compare apples with apples. Therefore, I compared the estimated cost of Breast Augmentation in 4 countries: USA & UK who are renowned for their excellence in cosmetic surgeries; India and South Africa who are one of the best medical tours destinations. I did research on hospitals with similar standards and came up with these interesting facts: Breast Augmentation average cost (in US Dollars): USA – $5000 – $8000 UK – $5900 – $7400 India – $4500 – $6000 South Africa – $2000 – $2500
I also took into consideration other qualitative factors such as medical reputation and also the overall experience by looking at feedback from people who have been to one of these places for surgery. I also looked at other surgical procedures such as Hair Transplant are also cheaper in South Africa. Up to 50% savings!
I came to the conclusion that South Africa is relatively better than the other countries in terms of general and medical tourism. The underlying principle is simple: Which country gives you the best value for money? South Africa has an excellent reputation in the medical field with strict regulations and the highest standards of commitment; Surgeries are affordable especially with the favorable exchange rate (You get 10 South African Rand for every 1 US dollar!); and last but not least, the scenery in South Africa are simply breathtaking, especially in Cape Town. It is an ideal place for a person to recover because of its relaxing atmosphere and comfortable environment There you have it — an actual comparison of the costs. I hope this article can reach out to those who are interested in medical tourism.