A file picture shows hospital workers help Muslim patients at Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok in June 2008. Medical tourism is big business in Thailand and more than 36,000 Myanmar travelled to the country for medical treatment in 2007.

WEALTHY Myanmar citizens with health concerns travel to a wide range of Asian countries for first-rate healthcare at relatively low cost, industry experts say.

One major destination is Singapore, which in 2007 recorded more than 400,000 medical travellers, according to the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Medicine. Singapore attracted more than 450,000 international patients in 2008.

Mr Kamaljeet Singh Gill, the chief marketing officer for Corporate Marketing from Global ParkwayHealth Group in Singapore, told The Myanmar Times that Singapore was South East Asia’s leading medical centre, with a prime focus on advanced research in medicine. The affordability and availability of specialised procedures were the keys to promoting medical travel in Singapore.

“Singapore’s medical system not only has a lower relative cost, but it can offer the highest quality of treatment. The Singapore Government is doing a lot to support and promote this industry in Singapore,” he said.

Mr Gill said private hospitals in Singapore such as ParkwayHealth’s three hospitals – East Shore Hospital, Gleneagles Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Hospital, have some of the world’s best medical facilities and most experienced doctors, working on the most cutting-edge and advanced medical procedures.

“ParkwayHealth has been attracting foreign patients to our network of hospitals since the late 1980s. The prices are as much as 60 percent cheaper than in the US and UK.”

“International patients can expect to be treated by top-notch doctors who have been trained in the United States. Thus, they can expect better or if not, equivalent level of medical care,” said Mr Gill, who said that his company had treated more than 250 Myanmar patients, among about 270,000 international patients, in 2008.

Mr Gill said Myanmar patients came to Singapore for health screenings, cancer treatments, liver and kidney transplants, cardiac surgery, urology, neurosurgery and orthopaedic surgery.

He said ParkwayHealth offered an all-inclusive fixed fee package for some common surgical procedures to help foreign patients manage their healthcare costs. The aim is to help ease their medical costs and encourage them not to delay much-needed surgery.

The price of surgery is S$23,000 for a coronary bypass and S$3,050 for cataract (per eye, without anaesthetist) at Gleneagles or Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Another favourite medical destination is Thailand, which in 2007 received 36,257 Myanmar patients for medical treatments from a total of 75,183 Myanmar travellers. The figure shows that 1.4 million foreigners entered Thailand for medical treatment in 2007 and the number in 2008 was expected to rise to 1.69 million.

Of the 2007 total, the citizens of ASEAN countries numbered 100,773 patients, of which Myanmar patients were the largest group (36,257), followed by Cambodia (24,163).

Dr Surapong Ambhanwong, the managing director of Phyathai Hospitals Group, told The Myanmar Times that Thailand was not the only destination for healthcare. Some wealthy Myanmar go as far as Germany for medical treatment. But the number of visitors going to Thailand for medical treatment had increased because of the quality of the medical service and value for money, he said.

“Myanmar has the potential to be developed for health tourism. But Myanmar medical staff still need help to access training,” said Dr Surapong, who is also chairman of a committee on business healthcare service.

“We also arrange an air ambulance service for patients who require medical treatment in Phyathai hospitals. But the service is only available to patients who have suffered serious injury, such as paralysis, as well as for foreign patients who have insurance,” said U Aye Maw, the owner of the Advance Meditour Company, which is an authorised representative of the Phyathai Hospitals Group in Myanmar.

“Myanmar travellers started going to Thailand for health treatment in 1990 and has been popularity in early 2000,” U Aye Maw said.

U Aye Maw said Thai hospitals had advanced technology, and many of their doctors had trained in the United States.

U Maung Maung Swe, the managing director of SM Tours and Travel Company, which is also official representative for the Phyathai Hospitals Group, said. Thailand has been rapidly expanding in popularity as a destination for medical treatment since 2000. Most Myanmar patients go to hospitals in Thailand for a medical check-up or an operation.

“Our company arranges the medical documentation for patients to Phyathai hospitals, arranges appointments and advises patients,” he said.

U Aung Thurein, the managing director of Vertex, an authorised agent for AMRI Hospitals in Kolkata, India, said Myanmar travellers started going to India for health treatment five years ago, mostly for liver ailments or kidney transplants.

“Myanmar patients chose India because the country has advanced information technology with good medical services, its weather and food are similar to Myanmar, and the expenses were lower than in an established medical destination like Singapore,” he said.

“India is attracting more travellers for medical treatment from Bangladesh, Bhutan, the United Kingdom and the United States,” U Aung Thurein said. “We offer referral services for AMRI hospitals.”