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The Rise of El Salvador's Medical Tourism Opportunities
By Matthew LaFountain
Medical Tourism, the practice of traveling to get health care, is a quickly emerging industry. A few countries such as India, Turkey, and Costa Rica have already gained the reputation as premier destinations for low cost and high quality medical treatments catering to foreigners. The economic growth possibilities medical tourism has to offer is not being overlooked by countries with leading health care systems and El Salvador is no exception. Not yet a leader, this country is well positioned to make strides in the near future to become a premier destination for patients looking abroad for dental, surgical, or other medical treatments.
El Salvador lies on the southern coast of Central America along the Pacific Ocean. The Sierra Madre Mountains run through the North. It is the smallest country in Central America, yet one of the most densely populated. It became an independent republic in 1838 with San Salvador as the capital. The country's geography is varied and beautiful, despite it being the smallest in Central America. The beaches along the Pacific Ocean are breath taking and the numerous (inactive) volcanoes with their many basins and valleys keep the countryside dynamic.
Tourism is a minor part of the country's economy compared to agriculture, but it is certainly not neglected. 2008 brought nearly 2 million tourists in 2008 with over 350,000 of them from the United States. El Salvador is welcoming to Americans and the vast majority of tourists of the country come from North America and the country is very welcoming. The US is an important trade partner to El Salvador, so much so that the US Dollar was adopted as the national currency. Sharing a currency simplifies travel for Americans. It is easier to understand the costs of a medical procedure since there is no need to convert currencies or to worry about unfavorable exchange rate fluctuations.
The country has a dichotomous healthcare system of over 300 hospitals. Medical travelers will experience the private healthcare system. This is where the more sophisticated medical technology is found and the practicing doctors are more highly trained, often educated in America. Unfortunately, this care is unaffordable to most of El Salvador's residents. The second is the public system, run by the government. There are many more public facilities available to the citizens than private options, but it is clearly inferior. The infrastructure is much older and the health care professionals have an overall lower level of education. The medical tourism industry is having positive spillover effects that are helping bridge the gap between the two healthcare systems within El Salvador. The economic growth from foreigners stimulates development of more robust healthcare overall and everyone's access to care becomes better. There are some hospitals springing up in economically weaker areas that offer medical care for little or no cost.
There are a few care centers that have placed themselves as leaders in attracting patients to El Salvador. They offer diverse menu of procedures for medical tourists and standard savings can be around 75% less than US prices. Hospital de Diagnostico is a major health care center in the capital city of San Salvador. It combines the latest medical technologies with highly trained doctors to provide excellent service to all patients. Hospital de Diagnostico has a 2 to 1 nurse ratio where hundreds of foreign patients are treated each year. It is the designated hospital for the President of the United States in an instance medical treatment would be needed while in the country. Another institution advertising treatment to patients abroad is the Hospital de Mujer, which also boasts the traits desired by individuals looking abroad for health care: high quality and affordability. Dental procedures are another popular draw for Americans looking into medical tourism and El Salvador is a country worth considering as a destination. Lorenzana Dental Clinic is a premier destination for oral care and comes with the finest materials and equipment available anywhere. Private hospitals and clinics are marketing to international clientele, but they are not active in the medical tourism industry alone. The government is also pushing to bring more people to El Salvador receiving medical treatments.
The government supports the country's involvement into medical tourism. The Medical Tourism Association promotes medical tourism along with Export Salud, which consists of two hundred doctors and dentists. Ana Vilma de Escobar, the Vice-President of El Salvador, supports the medical tourism industry and discussed the country's possibilities of becoming more involved in the industry along with the Ministers of Exterior and Tourism.
Not having any accredited hospitals is a hurdle for El Salvador as it works to become a major player in the medical tourism industry. Some private hospitals are working with accreditation agencies to see what must be done before beginning the rigorous process towards international accreditation. The country has everything lined up to become a leader in medical tourism within the next decade. El Salvador is a beautiful country full of friendly people. The private healthcare system is growing its international presence with the support of an encouraging government.
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