Medical Tourism In Singapore: Is It Worth The High Price Tag?
This article was originally on GET.com at: Medical Tourism In Singapore: Is It Worth The High Price Tag?
Did you know that the Singapore Tourism Board stopped providing data pertaining to medical tourism receipts back in 2015? That may be a shocker for some of you since we are all aware that Singapore is a medical hub that draws medical tourists from all over the world. Although we hope that the public hospitals that we have largely cater to the needs of locals and residents like you and I instead of prioritising international patients because of the lucrative factor, there are certain changes to Singapore's healthcare landscape.
As Singapore races to stand out from the crowd in this area, here are three things that we at GET.com reckon you should know about medical tourism in Singapore, at least for now.
3 Things To Know About Medical Tourism In Singapore
1. Your Experience Can Be Ultra Luxurious
Yes, you read that right. Medical tourism isn't just all about getting preventive care and/or treatment for whatever medical conditions one may need. People who have thick wads of cash to spare can be guaranteed an experience that will put even some reputable hotels to shame.
For instance, at Farrer Park Hospital, patients have the ability to shop online using wireless tablets and have their items sent right to their bedside in a mere 30 minutes or so. They also get to dine on 5-star hotel food since the hospital shares the same kitchen with the adjacent One Farrer Hotel and Spa.
2. Singapore May No Longer Be The Best Place For Medical Tourism In The Near Future
While Singapore is one of the best medical tourism destinations in the world with its supreme medical expertise and cutting-edge technology, everybody knows how costly healthcare and literally everything else is in Singapore. Singapore is the most expensive city on the planet after all.
To put things into perspective, other medical tourism destinations are quickly catching up. Places like Bangkok, Malaysia and Indonesia are rapidly improving what they have to offer to medical tourists minus the hefty price tags that hospitals in Singapore charge. To say it bluntly, our neighbouring countries are improving their medical facilities and services, quickly closing the gap, all while being relatively cheaper than Singapore.
Now, Singapore may be the best place for medical tourism at the moment, but soaring prices could potentially be its downfall in this area despite all the value-added services and opulent experiences patients can expect to receive in Singapore.
3. Singapore Is Still The #1 Choice For Treating Complex Cases
That being said, thanks to Singapore's medical expertise, pool of medical professionals, medical infrastructure and facilities, Singapore remains patients' top choice in Southeast Asia. This is especially true for patients who are seeking world-class advanced medical care for complicated conditions. Nobody can deny that because Singapore has seen its fair share of super high-profile cases over the years.
Besides, there are new drugs that are approved for use in Singapore but not yet in other countries in the region. The fact that these drugs for life-threatening medical conditions are available for use in Singapore should give our country an advantage since patients don't have to travel to places such as the United States to get ahold of them.
What do you think? Share your comments with us below!
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