Venturing into health tourism and unlocking a world of benefits for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka as many know is a beautiful island nation with a myriad of natural resources and ecstatic sceneries. Famed for the hospitality of the friendly people, the country has a lot more to offer than just delicious food, lavish lodgings, adventurous nature trails, and the green-blue seas.

Sri Lanka presently is going through a grave financial crisis of which the repercussions are viciously experienced by many citizens. The inability to bring forex into the country has contributed massively to its downfall.

How can we as medical professionals contribute during a forex crisis? Besides the short and medium-term plans that encourage many foreign donations to the country, shouldn’t we also look for a long-term plan to survive and raise ourselves once again?

The island has one of the best education systems in the world and delivers skilled professionals to many industries. Sri Lanka’s medical professionals are considered to be highly skilled and I as a medical professional myself feel that there are endless possibilities for us to serve the country if the right opportunities are created.

Tourism is a major contributor to forex but what about health tourism which is one of the largest growing segments of wellness and medical tourism?

What is health tourism?

Health tourism is a concept that allows people to travel to different countries to receive health services to increase their quality of life, enabling them to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

Health tourism allows you to engage in activities, treatments, and therapies that benefit your health and contribute to a healthier physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Why is health tourism becoming a popular segment?

• Affordable treatment
• Receive more qualified health services
• To ignore long waiting lists in the residing country
• Insurance coverage-related matters
• To receive native treatment particular to a country
• Confidentiality
• To combine treatment with a holiday
• The need for a different environment or change of climate for faster recovery
• Availability of best and professional care/personalised care
• Better access to technology and specialists
• Health tourism isn’t seasonal and attracts patients all year round

What are the benefits of health tourism?

It’s the perfect getaway for tourists to receive affordable and cheaper healthcare services without compromising quality.

Why should Sri Lanka contribute to creating a health tourism segment?

• Health tourism is a growing industry. The global pandemic (COVID-19) made people more cautious and more aware of their health, and they are keen to make health and wellbeing a top priority. People are on the lookout for affordable holiday destinations and combine therapy, treatments, and access to medical procedures that may sometimes be unavailable in their residing country.
• Sri Lanka is a well-known and loved holiday destination and it is easy to attract tourists who seek the bliss and comfort of health tourism.
• Our country possesses skilled and specialised medical professionals who are:
• Reliable and possess the required language skills
• Empathetic and well-trained to care for patients
• Comparatively cheap labour than European countries
• Comparatively cheaper overhead costs and expenses
• The ability to furnish patients with comfortable lodgings
• Sri Lanka is a tropical country and the warm and sunny weather is known to be immensely beneficial for our health.

What treatments can we offer?

• Cardiology
• ENT treatment
• Eye surgery
• Dental/dentistry
• Dermatology/cosmetic/plastic surgery
• Orthopaedics
• Bariatric surgery
• Transplants
• Fertility treatment
• Native treatment, oil therapies, and access to alternative treatment
• Spa therapy
• Medication and yoga centres
• Rehabilitation
• Weight loss or healthy eating retreats

What is stopping us now?

I must frankly admit that to cater to the health tourism sector, the government hospitals may need more time to implement structures, more disciplined procedures, and patient-friendly lodgings and environment. With the lack of funds, this might seem a difficult task at a time like this, but health tourism is easily accessible to private hospitals and treatment centres.

With a bit of “out of the box” thinking, the private sector has the resources and the capability to cater to a professional health tourism industry.

What we are capable of offering

• Highly specialised medical professionals and well-trained staff
• Internationally accredited, state-of-the-art medical facilities
• Personalised care – the comfort and the convenience of a private room, interpreter and support staff while receiving treatment and other tailor-made services designed for the patient’s comfort
• Round-trip-travel-support – the team can offer services from medical treatment to travel assistance to a hotel of the patient’s choice, reservation assistance, visa procedure, etc.
• Significant cost savings for the international patients
• Immediate access to treatment – no waiting lists
• Aftercare programs

A change of attitude will make us ready to serve a wider community

No matter how skilled or specialised our professionals are, there are a few obstacles we are yet to overcome for us to open our beautiful country for health tourism. We need to get together as a team and turn a new leaf, ensuring that we are confident and offer professionalism in every aspect that assures the patient’s convenience and comfort.

1. The country should offer a simple visa procedure and allow hassle-free entry for the visitors.

2. Over the years as a medical practitioner, I have noticed that the private hospitals in Sri Lanka don’t quite meet the required standards and quality of patient care. I sometimes wonder if the private sector is far too commercialised and concerned only about earning money and not patients’ welfare. Are the medical support staff trained and experienced enough to care for patients, and to assist with their wants and needs? Are the patient rooms comfortable and clean? Does a patient still need to complain about the available facilities even after paying money to obtain services? The specialised skilled services surely require to be more structured and organised.

3. Of course, I understand that private hospitals are a business aimed at earning profit. But, is the management utilising enough profit to benefit the patients and their comfort? Most private hospitals are not equipped with modern or advanced technology on par with standard treatments, especially when it comes to cardiology and perhaps in other areas too. Shouldn’t we address this? Our private hospitals need improvement in comparison with neighbouring countries like Maldives, India, Singapore, etc., that have excelled in health tourism.

I kindly urge relevant tourism authorities, the Ministry of Health, medical professionals, and private health caregivers to consider these views and create opportunities to implement a growing and nourishing health tourism sector in Sri Lanka that will enable to bring the much-required forex to the country.

(The writer is a Consultant Cardiologist, Institute of Cardiology, at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka.)