The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a film about medical tourism in India, featuring some of Britain’s best talent, including Maggie Smith, Judy Dench and Bill Nighy.  It captures all of the prejudices and vulnerabilities of the patients, and inspires with the determination and innocence of Sonny Kapur who is trying to set up his hotel so that he can secure a good future for himself and his prospective bride.

According to the Global Medical Tourism Market 2015 – 2019 report:

Medical Tourism is defined as when a patient is travelling abroad in order to receive medical treatment. The medical treatment include medicinal or surgical such as heart bypass, heart valve replacement, hip replacement, dental implant, spinal fusion, tummy tuck, breast implant, cosmetic surgery, angioplasty, and other treatment. The patients travel abroad to get the medical treatment because of cost-saving, better quality care, affordability, no waiting time, and more personalized care. Medical tourism is a form of outsourcing medical services to low-cost countries. The medical tourism market is in nascent stage and is expected to gain momentum during the forecast period.
The analysts forecast the Global Medical Tourism market to grow at a CAGR (Compound annual growth rate or year on year growth) of 19.38 percent over the period 2014-2019. 

To calculate market size, the report takes into account the amount spend by the medical tourists for medical services and treatments while travelling abroad. The report does not include the amount spent on food, lodging, visiting sightseeing places and airfares.

The research report provides in-depth analysis of the geographies facilitating inbound medical services that include India, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Taiwan, South Korea and prospective countries.   Other countries include Poland, Dubai and Philippines.  The market players are profiled on the basis of various attributes adopted by them to flourish in the market.

Clearly, medical tourism may have been a good idea for a film about British patients sourcing cheaper and sooner treatment in India, but it is a subject of study and planning if introduced to a novice destination, such as Malta and Gozo.

The segment of medical tourism has been around for some years now.  Here in Malta, the Capua Hospital or what is St .James Hospital today, was a flagship in the field.  Anglu Xuereb initially intended the hospital to attract patients for medical tourism and the Capua Palace offered some luxury suites in which clients could then spend their time convalescing in comfort.

Such business, however, does not just turn up because there is a hospital.  A destination has to be well known for not only its high medical standards, competitive prices and facilities, but also for its unique advantage and accessibility.  It is a segment of tourism that needs to be developed much as our diving and language school segments have been developed over the years.  There has to be a good choice and a good reputation, with a unique angle.  For example, our success as a diving destination depends very much on our year round accessibility, clear water and good climate and also on the experience diving offers in Malta and Gozo.   The same with our language schools which built a name for Malta owing to the fact that English was well and widely spoken not just at the schools but also in the host families. 

Bringing in some of the significant players in the market, such as the professional institutes or insurance and management companies will certainly help to put Malta and Gozo on the map, much as Ryanair served to bring our destination to the attention of all of its clients.  It certainly takes some of the load off the Malta Tourism Authority to have such players already in place and needing to attract their own patients.   It is necessary, though, not to stop there and much work will need to be done to advertise Malta, gain the trust and confidence of the market and deliver a unique service that can compete with already established countries, as mentioned above, that have low cost as a natural advantage.

I do not think that here in Malta we are the India or the Mexico of Europe, America or Asia.  Medical Tourism cannot be viewed in the way that selling citizenship is viewed, as a cash cow, and that just by virtue of the idea, the result is assured.  The segment is different in that it concerns the Health Department as much as it does Tourism.  Facilities and infrastructure to provide adequate services will go hand in hand.  Pre- and post- surgery facilities are required.  In Italy, many clients who undergo cosmetic surgery go to convalesce at the Nuns’ convents.  The reason is that it is reasonably priced and rather private and convalescing periods can be quite long.  We have many empty convents that could also release a portion of their building and have it converted into a guest house.  We also have a number of good, clean, retreat houses that could decide to offer a service.  I know that the monastery in Victoria, Rabat is well organised already and does provide accommodation to tourists who, for example, go to Gozo for the Opera.

Much consideration also has to be given to the supply of qualified and skilled staff and unskilled labourers  who will be needed to cater with the demand being created by all these new hospitals.  We may find that immigrants will be required to fill jobs.

MUMN president Maria Cutajar said recently that at least 300 newly graduated nurses are needed every year, with the investment in the health sectors coming up. Currently, between 150 and 180 nurses graduate each year, however twice the number is needed in the field.

Countries like the Philippines are known for their nursing graduates and have provided care for patients and the elderly all around the globe, even here in Malta.  Selecting that country as a source of nursing staff could provide the right supply.  They speak English and are already familiar with Malta.  Of course, Dubai is closer to home for them but if conditions are better here, they could be a good persuaded to come.  Accommodation planning is also needed to provide for the immigrant staff and would reflect on their salary and consequently the medical costs.

The idea to leverage medical tourism as a strategy to boost healthcare services and the tourism industry can stimulate economic growth and employment opportunities.  Medical tourism is a direct result of the globalisation of health care.  There is an emerging opportunity for Asian and Middle Eastern countries that are catering to the healthcare requirements of developed countries.  Perhaps, importing the whole expertise, rather than going about it piece meal, would facilitate copying the industry to Malta.  For example, Dubai health care is an established player, they have the knowledge, staff and the investment funds.

But simply extending the offer to various investors to set up shop here in Malta will not assure success.  First and foremost, the investors should be fully informed of the costs and realities  involved for them to operate according to law.  Here Minister Mizzi’s calculations may need a second glance.  Secondly, the support of the Government would be essential to establishing an offer here in Malta and Gozo, which could compete with other countries, at least here in Europe, such as Poland and Hungary.  Many Italian people get together and hire a coach to drive them to Croatia or other nearby countries, where they have their dental treatment done and return home, if not the same day then after a few days.  Should the UK be our core market for clients, we must sell our advantage of location, being much closer to them than India or Thailand and that we are an English speaking country.   English would need to be well spoken in the hospitals.  The language factor does concern many clients.

The domestic market could also be a component.  Much as hotels in Gozo and other hotels in Malta look to the Maltese for the weekend break offer or summer holiday rentals, there could be a potential market here at home for cosmetic surgery or for patients who would like to receive a certain specialised treatment. 

Much attention also should be given to the selected investor or partner.  Not every operator has a clean reputation and it is essential that evaluations and investigations are thoroughly carried out on the investors or companies under consideration before a choice is made.

We cannot afford to get this wrong because not only are we, the taxpayers, committing funds towards this health care plan, but we also need to ensure standards are maintained and improved and that a holistic approach is taken towards implementing the project.  Ultimately, it is the solution that this Government has proposed for solving the health care problems that our country faces.  

Will it be a case of flooding the market with too many beds and hospitals, as with our electricity supply which will generate more than the country needs, or will it be the healthcare for the future?  Time will tell.