Treatment Abroad Under Any Condition

Medical tourism is a highly profitable global phenomenon with tremendous potential for further growth. According to Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso Rathe, the president and the founder of Dominican Association of Health Tourism, “medical tourism is the sector that is growing the most within the health industry, by 25% a year. It represents at least 2.5% of travelers per plane.”

Growing demand for health services is directly linked to economic development, generating higher incomes and better access to education. Demographic changes, such as aging populations along with epidemiological changes, like the rising incidence of chronic conditions, raise the demand for more advanced health services. Long waiting times, as well as high. Yet increasing costs of health services in developed countries, coupled with the availability of receiving alternative treatments at lower prices in developing ones, is leading more and more patients to seek treatment overseas.

GOVERNMENT PRIORITY

The Dominican Republic is the most popular vacation destination in the Caribbean. In 2013 alone, the country received 4.7 million foreign visitors. President Danilo Medina’s National Strategic Plan envisages boosting the number of international tourists to 10 million by 2022. And within this, developing medical tourism has recently become one of the government’s top priorities. The Dominican Republic is set up for success, as the country already has the largest number of international airports in the Caribbean, Free Trade Zones (FTZs), and numerous specialists in fields such as: cardiology, cosmetic surgery and dentistry, as well as multiple wellness and spa/recovery services providers.

ADTS

The Dominican Association of Health Tourism (ADTS), founded and chaired by Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso Rathe, a board certified medical tourism expert on prevention and management of health centers, is a nonprofit organization promoting the Dominican Republic as an ideal destination for medical tourism. However, ADTS’s aim is not only to attract new international patients, but also to ensure a positive experience and good treatment results. The Association focuses on encouraging best industry practices, safety of care, and the promotion of appropriate endorsements, accreditations, and certifications for specialists and medical centers.

STATISTICS

There are no clear statistics regarding the number and origin of medical tourists visiting the Dominican Republic. In the words of Dr. Cambiaso Rathe, “last year (2013) we saw at least 5,000 patients here.” But these patients were not necessarily all medical tourists; some of them could have come to the Dominican Republic with a different aim and subsequently required immediate medical treatment. Medical tourism is defined as the process of traveling beyond the country of residence with a clearly defined purpose of receiving medical care, whereby travelers receiving treatment abroad as a consequence of sudden medical conditions are not considered medical tourists. The Dominican authorities are now working to compile reliable medical tourism statistics. During an interview, Dr. Cambiaso Rathe informed TBY that ADTS is “gathering with the authorities so we can have clearer statistics enabling us to pursue plans based on more solid data.”

DOMINICAN CLINICS

The leading Dominican medical centers are certified by the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Health. Besides that, several clinics are in the process of obtaining accreditation through the Joint Commission International. A few Dominican clinics have also signed strategic international alliances, and have quality committees and special departments responsible for assigning a care coordinator to international patients. Those clinics already meet international standards and offer hospitality and financial services, logistics support, and translators. HGPS, for instance, has signed collaboration agreements with several prestigious universities and hospitals in the US and Europe, such as Harvard University (Massachusetts), Jackson Medical Center (Alabama), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Massachusetts), and Oslo University and Hospital Clinic (Norway), among others.

The country has taken the steps needed to strengthen its position in the competitive international health market and is in the process of creating incentives for medical tourism, as well as a favorable legal environment. Additionally, the country has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, numerous hotels and golf clubs, and a culture of hospitality and warmth, which add to the recovery process. And it is easy to access: citizens from the US, Canada, and Europe require no visa.