News - WHAT FOREIGNERS TREAT IN KAZAKHSTAN

According to the Medical Tourism Association, every year nearly 14 million people around the world choose medical travel.

Many countries are actively developing their own healthcare systems. Such hospitals employ highly qualified specialists who are fluent in English.

The most common procedures include cosmetic surgery, infertility treatment, cancer treatment, and cardiovascular disease treatment.

Tourists also choose new destinations for hair transplants, organ transplants, and dental implants.

Let's start with the fact that medical tourism covers three main directions. The first is for the purpose of receiving specific types of specialized treatment. The second is for diagnosis clarification and examination, also known as diagnostic tourism. And the third direction is for health improvement and enhancing appearance. In the global ranking of the most attractive countries in the field of medical tourism, the top spots are occupied by Canada, Singapore, Japan, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

René-Marie Stephan, President of the Medical Tourism Association:

- Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea are three examples of countries where excellent medical services are available. They also meet the requirements of government regulation and reporting for medical travel programs.

Canada leads the list, attracting 14 million patients from the USA alone. The country's healthcare system is a symbiosis of paid and free medical care. Its services can be used not only by Canadian citizens but also by foreigners. On average, medical procedures can cost up to 60% less than in the USA, depending on the treatment. However, costs are generally higher than in Asian countries.

In turn, our compatriots also use some medical services abroad. The top 3 countries chosen by Kazakhstanis include Turkey, South Korea, and Israel, as reported by the Astana Development Center. Turkey leads due to cost, service, and hospitality. The country welcomes more than 15,000 of our citizens annually. And nearly 12,500 people travel to South Korea each year.

Darina Demyan, Managing Director for Medical Tourism Development at the Astana Development Center:

- South Korea is in second place, thanks to the country's policy of promoting medical tourism. In third place is Israel, as one of the first markets for medical tourism, however, it is not accessible to everyone due to pricing. Germany is one of the most expensive destinations, so fewer people go there.

Medical tourism is becoming increasingly popular in Central Asian countries as well. In the first six months of 2023, 3,000 foreign patients came to our republic for treatment. Compared to the same period last year, this number has almost doubled and continues to grow. Mainly, residents from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Germany, Turkey, and Iran are sent to us.

Kristina Krivets, President of the Kazakhstan Association of Medical Tourism:

- 10% are countries from far abroad. Now we have visitors from Australia, Germany, the UAE, the Netherlands, America. The geography is very wide, but primarily it is either citizens who left Kazakhstan in their childhood or citizens from far abroad who have learned about the level of our medicine on the recommendation of these people.

To undergo surgery in Kazakhstan, foreigners purchase special medical tour packages. These include the choice of clinic and doctor, online consultation based on tests, transfer, and hotel accommodation. If the operation is not complicated, the patient will be given tours of the city and introduced to local traditions.

Kristina Krivets, President of the Kazakhstan Association of Medical Tourism:

- Either they contact the international departments of medical organizations, for example, we have many scientific centers of various profiles in Astana. They can directly reach out to them. But then they won't receive such services as, for example, organizing flights, transfers, and can do everything at their discretion. Or they turn to an agency, to our organization, and we organize everything turnkey.

Neurology, cardiology, plastic surgery, orthopedics, reproductive medicine, and dentistry services are in high demand among medical tourists arriving in our country. In Astana, there are 7 clinics that have received international JCI accreditation, which is considered the "gold standard" in medicine. Among them are the National Center for Cardiac Surgery, the Republican Diagnostic Center, and other medical institutions.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is the leader in Central Asia, where the National Program for the Development of Medical Tourism has been adopted. The country is chosen for dental treatment, plastic surgery, and also for undergoing traditional medicine treatments.