Healthcare costs and the cost of medical insurance premiums in USA continue to escalate at an alarmingly rate. In addition, many medical and surgical procedures are no longer covered by insurance. This has made it imperative for Americans to seek alternative, affordable options for their healthcare treatments. One such option is medical tourism or traveling to foreign countries that offer exceptionally good medical services at amazingly affordable rates.
Today, more and more Americans fly out to China to get themselves treated in the high-tech Chinese hospitals at a fraction of costs demanded by hospitals in US. Hospitals and healthcare facilities in China often match or even surpass the quality of healthcare available in US-based hospitals. China also scores well when it comes to:
- High standards of healthcare technology
- Quality of services
- Low-waiting periods for most procedures
- Availability of medical personnel trained in Europe or the US
- Affordability of air travel
Why China?
Until recently, the major share of international healthcare seekers flocked to destinations like Thailand and India. However, China has now emerged as a strong presence in this field due to a multitude of reasons. Here are some of them:
- In spite of its stellar medical facilities, China still features proponents of traditional healing sciences and herbal medicines along its futuristic skylines and modern streets. Traditional Chinese healing include herbal extracts, natural roots, acupuncture, massage and dietary therapy. These alternative and completely natural methods are in high demand all over the world due to the high success rates without the use of chemicals.
- Infrastructure: The consistent growth of the Chinese economy has resulted in considerable improvements in the infrastructure of the entire country — the big cities in particular. In the medical sector, this trend is evidenced by the establishment of new, modern healthcare facilities with state-of-the-art technology.
- Hi-tech facilities: Modern medicine is heavily dependent on sophisticated medical equipments to correctly diagnose ailments and perform delicate surgeries. Almost all reputed hospitals in China do not hesitate to spend money when it comes to the question of upgrading facilities. This makes Chinese hospitals technologically at par with their counterparts in the West.
- Certified medical personnel: The medical students of China follow a curriculum of education and practice based on Western standards. In addition, many of these students complete their higher education or specialization from reputed institutions in the US. This makes them every bit as competitive as American healthcare professionals.
- Affordability: Majority of the hospitals in China are non-profit facilities that intend to ‘serve the people’. These services when extended to international patients, translate into very economical costs at the highest ethical standards.
- Accessibility: Today, there are plenty of airlines that link major cities of USA with Chinese cities like Beijing or Shanghai. This makes it easy to get seats and travel to China on any proposed date. In addition, a visa for China is easy to obtain than for most other Asian destinations.
- Tourism: China has lots of surprises in store for international visitors. A treatment course in China offers a wonderful opportunity to check out the sights in this mystical country. China has also become more prominent on the international travel chart after playing host to the 2008 Olympics.
As Americans continue to embrace China as a healthcare destination, they get to save considerable amounts while boosting China’s image as a tourist destination. Medical tourism in China is indeed a glowing example of how nations can benefit from outsourcing and globalization.
