The Hindu Business Line : Medical getaway

It is most famous for shopping malls, eating out and entertainment zones. But Singapore’s best-kept secret is that it offers world-class healthcare at affordable rates.

The city-state is now aggressively promoting its healthcare facilities, built assiduously over the decades, to attract patients from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even the US, with the offer of cheaper, top-notch treatment and post-operative care, alongside the other charms of this island nation.

And spreading the word far and wide is SingaporeMedicine, a multi-agency government initiative under the Singapore Tourism Board aimed at making the country’s healthcare services easily accessible to international patients.

Year after year, hundreds of thousands of international patients come to Singapore specifically for healthcare and many more seek quality healthcare while on trips for other purposes. This number is poised to grow rapidly, says Dr Jason Yap, Director of Singapore Medicine.

‘Medical Travel’

Highlighting the edge that his country enjoys, Dr Jason Yap, who frowns on the use of the term “medical tourism” — he prefers “medical travel”, says Singapore offers a multicultural, multilingual atmosphere where everyone speaks English and no one feels out of place.

Singapore, which has time and again been voted as having the best healthcare system in the Asian continent, has evolved a successful public-private partnership model wherein public-sector hospitals like those under Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) and private initiatives like the Raffles Medical Group join hands.

At the heart of the country’s drive to emerge as a medical travel hub is a holistic approach that encompasses the expertise of internationally trained and respected medical professionals, advanced technology, and the latest and safest drugs.

Besides, there is emphasis on research and development, which is also reflected in the growing number of leading biomedical companies that help extend Singapore’s capabilities from basic research to clinical trials and healthcare delivery.

Global expertise

The healthcare establishment also seeks to attract international professionals with the opportunity to train, learn, share and network.

Dr Jason Yap says the country is keen on wooing professionals, many of whom decide to stay for the long term. Singapore also plays host to several conferences, symposiums and training seminars, where the attendance is eclectic.

With such a variety of options to choose from, a first-time medical traveller would certainly find it difficult to zero in on the organisation that’s right for him or her. It is precisely to solve this problem that the US-based Healthy Travel Media, an independent imprint, has released a Singapore special edition of Patients Beyond Borders, a comprehensive ready-reckoner of healthcare organisations in the island nation.

The author, Josef Woodman, had brought out a US edition in January this year that covered the gamut of healthcare options worldwide. A medical traveller himself, Woodman decided on a separate guide for Singapore because of its excellent infrastructure and emphasis on attracting global medical travellers.

The Singapore edition offers in-depth coverage of centres of excellence and specialities and super-specialties catering to international patients, besides information on medical travel agents and accommodation.

Cost difference

A key concern among US patients seeking treatment abroad is safety and quality. Singapore scores high in this regard as many of its hospitals are accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), the overseas arm of the largest hospital accreditation agency of the US. In fact, it has the highest number of such hospitals in Asia.

Cost is another major factor for US patients travelling overseas for treatment as the same treatment would cost substantially more back home. For instance, a heart bypass surgery that would cost $122,000 can be done at just $20,000 in Singapore. Similarly, a knee replacement that would leave the patient lighter by $41,000 would cost a fraction in Singapore ($13,000).

Looking beyond cost, Singapore is also home to several pioneering techniques in eye care, disc replacement, liver transplant, knee replacement, neurological and cardiovascular diseases and various types of cancer.

SingHealth, the largest group of healthcare institutions with three hospitals, five speciality centres and some 2,000 doctors, accounts for more than half of all day-surgeries in the country. All of its hospitals are JCI-accredited.

Comfortable stay

International medical travellers can present a host of challenges, right from feeling alienated to being choosy about how their meals are cooked. Keeping this in mind, the Raffles Medical Group has set up an international patient centre, which goes the extra mile to make their stay as pleasant and hassle-free as possible.

Right from taking care of visas to airport transfers and appointments, special arrangements such as halal food and prayer rooms for Muslims, and interpreters for those not comfortable with English, the centre tries to provide a heal ing touch.

The hospital is, in fact, designed to resemble a five-star hotel. Dr Prem Kumar Nair, General Manager of Corporate Services, says this was a conscious decision by the management. “We do not want the patient to feel depressed. This is why you see a grand piano as soon as you enter the building, that the entire hospital is carpeted, the colours are soothing, and that the rooms look no different from hotel rooms.”

After all, Dr Yap Jason says, Singapore is one of the few medical travel destinations that offer “peace of mind when health really matters.”

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