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| TAIWAN NONGOVERNMENTAL HOSPITALS & CLINICS ASSOCIATION |
Taiwan ¡V the Best Choice for Medical Tourism
In the New Age of globalization, the lifestyle of human being is changing rapidly. Under the speedy development of international aviation technologies, industries with clear regional characteristics in the past have now developed service modes that break with tradition. ¡§Medical Tourism¡¨ has become one of these star industries that attract much attention because of its business opportunity worth several hundred billion US dollars. The advantages of advanced medical technologies of international standards, reasonable charges, excellent public hygiene environment and last but not least, the fresh impetus given by government polices have prepared Taiwan to declare its determination to become the center of ¡§Medical Tourism¡¨ in the world and the best choice of cross-country medical care for international visitors.
According to research, there exists a two- to eight-fold difference between the medical charges in different countries for the same item. Stimulated by the difference in medical costs and the rapid mobility of societies in the world, medical services with reasonable prices will no longer be limited by borders and distance, and will become a part of life. Besides cost factor, the quality of medical technologies and overall social environment of a country are also the important factors that affect people¡¦s choice of location for medical care.
Worldwide-Acclaimed Critical Care Medicine in Taiwan
As per the analysis of Ms. Su-Ling Tsai, the Counselor of Health Department responsible for the preparation and planning of medical tourism in Taiwan, the health of Taiwan nationals have been generally enhanced and improved since the implementation of national health insurance. However, the medical industry in Taiwan is sufficiently capable to offer services to people coming from all over the world, not just Taiwan nationals. Secondly, with domestic demand satisfied and nationals¡¦ health guaranteed, the medical industry should maintain continuous improvement and development for the good of the people. Therefore, whether from a national economy or industry development point of view, it is the best timing for Taiwan to enter into the Medical Tourism industry, and having high medical technology standards is the biggest advantage for Taiwan to develop Medical Tourism industry.
The hepatic medicine in Taiwan is highly acclaimed worldwide. Taiwan was the first Asian country to perform liver transplant surgery successfully, and is one of the top five liver transplant centers in Asia. The survival rate is the highest in the world. Furthermore, Taiwan has one of the three largest bone marrow donor databases in Asia, and has several successful cases of international matching. Up till now, Taiwan has carried out more than ten thousand microscopic reconstructive surgeries, outshining European countries and the US in the number of successful cases. Moreover, Taiwan is the only Asian country to have received the ¡§Plastic Surgery Innovation from American Society of Plastic Surgeons¡¨, the so-called ¡§Nobel Prize of Plastic Surgery¡¨, which shows that Taiwan has won a key position in the field of reconstructive and plastic surgery. With regard to various kinds of medical treatments such as cardio-vascular disorders, assisted reproduction and joint replacement, Taiwan is also up to international technology standards.
Advanced Technologies with Reasonable Prices
Although Taiwan is equipped with world-class medical technologies, the medical charges are relatively low as compared to other countries. For examples, the charge for assisted reproduction in Taiwan is only one-tenth of that in the US, and the surgery fee for liver transplant is about one-sixth of that in the US. The surgery fee for hip joint replacement is even lower than those in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, etc. Charges for other medical treatments in Taiwan, such as laser eye surgery, health examination, cancer screening, cosmetic surgery and dental treatment are also considerably competitive.
A Comparison on the Prices between Taiwan and Overseas Medical Services
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Remarks:
1. The above amounts include ward fee, nursing fee and surgery fee.
2. The medical charges in Taiwan are calculated by doubling the average out-of-pocket expenses under national health insurance.
Source: Ms. Yueh-Fen Huang ; The Feasibility of Developing Medical Tourism in Taiwan
Mr. Ming-Yen Wu, the Secretary-General of Taiwan Nongovernmental Hospitals and Clinics Association, an organization which devotes all its effort in pushing forward medical tourism, said that in addition to the advantages of technologies and prices, Taiwan is very competitive for having a complete medical system and patient-centered medical teams. He took Taiwan being the second in Worldwide Health Ranking of The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in UK as an example to show that Taiwan has already reached the standards of advanced countries regarding both medical and life quality, and that Taiwan has the best environment for carrying out medical tourism. Nevertheless, Mr. Wu pointed out that Taiwan¡¦s lateness in entering into the industry in comparison to other countries in South East Asia, the lack of international brand image for medical services and the problem of medical regulations are the obstacles that Taiwan should overcome in the development of Medical Tourism.
Keeping the Quality for Perpetual Operation
To encourage the medical sector to develop medical tourism, the Council for Economic Planning and Development, together with the Department of Health, proposed the ¡§Medical Service Internationalization Flagship Program¡¨. It is estimated that the government will contribute a total of NT$44.4 million to construct a platform for the collaboration of the government and the medical sector in promoting medical tourism. Ms. Tsai indicated that the government is responsible for the liaison of various departments, for examples, assigning the Government Information Office and the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission to assist in international promotion activities, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue medical visas. More importantly, the government shall set up an industrial order to avoid unhealthy competition due to price war, and conduct serious medical quality checks through a hospital appraisal system, in order to establish an excellent reputation for Taiwan in the field of medical tourism and to carry on the industry perpetually.
In fact, Taiwan has already spread its medical services to the rest of the world for some time through international disaster relief and free consultation. At present, there are a number of hospitals in Taiwan which provide special medical services for international visitors, such as Chang Geng Memorial Hospital, Wan Fang Hospital, E-Da Hospital, etc. In order to present the excellent quality of medical tourism, the Taiwan Nongovernmental Hospitals and Clinics Association especially set up the ¡§Medical Tourism Area¡¨ in the first ¡§Taiwan Sports Recreation and Leisure Show¡¨ organized by TAITRA. This area will bring together 12 famous hospitals, namely Wan Fang Hospital, Cathay General Hospital, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Chang Geng Memorial Hospital, China Medical University Hospital, Show Chwan Health Care System, Tung¡¦s Taichung MetroHarbour Hospital, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, E-Da Hospital, Yuan¡¦s General Hospital and Buddhist Tsu Chi General Hospital, to jointly exhibit in the show. Moreover, the organizer will invite famous local and overseas insurance companies, directors of sizable enterprises and travel agencies to come and exchange their ideas and opinions, so as to let the whole world see Taiwan¡¦s determination in medical tourism industry!
For more information, please contact the Taiwan Nongovernmental Hospitals and Clinics Association or simply check out the official homepage: www.nhca.org.tw
Contact Person: Ms. Wen-Chin Hsu
Tel¡G+886-2-2514-0113
Fax¡G+886-2-2514-0114