Filtered By: Topstories
News

Medical tourism can keep doctors, nurses in RP - DoH director


Medical tourism, coupled with right policies, could prevent thousands and thousands of health professionals from leaving the country, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 7 said over the weekend. An article from Sun Star Cebu quoted Dr. Cora Lou Kintanar, chief of local health division DOH 7, as saying, “The lack of nurses and doctors has become alarming because health professionals opt to leave the country to find high-paying jobs abroad." Once medical tourism in the country is in full stride, local salaries will become competitive and nurses, doctors, and people in the health profession would prefer to stay in the country, Kintanar said. Citing official records, she said that from 1994 to 2006, some 150,000 healthcare professionals left the country. “With right policies in place, medical tourism is the answer to the brain drain," she added. The DOH expects medical tourism to bring in over $3 billion in revenues to the country every year. The Philippines is attractive to foreign patients because of the lower cost of medical treatment and the “caring nature" of Filipinos. Kintanar cited that a heart bypass operation, if done in the US would cost $50,000. If done in the Philippines, it will only cost $10,000 to $25,000. Under the medical tourism program, accredited hospitals would have special sections for foreign patients or medical tourists. Kintanar said the accreditation for hospitals engaged in medical tourism has already started in Manila with St. Luke’s Medical Center being the first to be accredited. - Luis Gorgonio, GMANews.TV

LOADING CONTENT