1 MILLION CLIENTS A YEAR NEEDED
Stakeholder notes a lack of international exposure and marketing promotions for medical tourism.
There is much potential for the Philippines to be a leading player in medical tourism in Asia.
For the country to improve its ranking, being third in the list of Asian destinations for global medical tourists, dentist Clarissa Jane Pe, vice chair of the dental sector committee of Cebu Health and Wellness Council (CHWC) Inc., said Cebu needs to capture at least a million medical tourists a year.
The country is still lagging behind Singapore (first) and Thailand (second), which have over a million medical tourists annually.
To date, medical tourism in the Philippines caters to about 80,000 to 250,000 clients annually.
Pe cited the lack of international exposure and marketing promotions as one of the reasons the country is not as competitive in attracting medical tourists.
“We are very much behind in marketing medical tourism. We have to send a message to the world that we are better than other countries,” said Pe during the Medical Tourism Business Meeting organized by the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines.
Other weaknesses of the country include the lack of investments in the industry. Pe said decades of under-investment have resulted in large deficiencies in both medical facilities and services. She also cited the continued migration of healthcare workers to the US, European Union and the Middle East that is causing a braindrain, as well as the lack of direct connectivity between the Philippines and other countries that makes travel to the country expensive.
“There’s a lot of catching up to do,” she added. She assured the medical and wellness players, though, that the government and various organizations are slowly addressing these issues.
Cosmetic surgery, wellness treatments, and dentistry are just some of the specialty care that the Philippines currently offers.
Amid these weaknesses, the CHWC official said the Philippines continues to shine as a destination for tourists who want to avail themselves of medical services while enjoying the country’s scenic destinations.
Pe said that the country’s excellent English communication skills has also attracted medical students from neighboring countries to complete their residency in the Philippines because they can also learn English and improve their skills.
The Philippines is also known for its warm, friendly people and business environment. Other plus factors are the country’s warm tropical weather and the cooperation of health and wellness key players.
Pe noted that CHWC has been actively joining international medical tourism expos for Cebu to capture a good share of the market.
Cebu, she said, is in the best position to become a medical tourism hub because of the presence of medical institutions that are recognized globally and are at par with those of Manila and counterparts in Asia.
This is further boosted with the availability of direct connections to and from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, USA and the Middle East.
Four new players are also opening soon in Cebu like Maayo Hospital in Mandaue City, which is slated to open in June 2017, Manila-based Ace Medical, Ayala Group’s QualiMed, and Medical City, a retirement project.
The latest industry data available showed that medical tourism earned for the Philippines roughly $145 million or P6.7 billion in 2014, more than double that of 2013’s $66 million (P3.03 billion).