In the year 2014 to 2020, half of the world is expected to be filled up with seniors nearing their retirement age. This was affirmed by the Executive Director of HealthCore Philippines, Joyce Socao-Alumno, who also said that the aging generation of baby boomers could also be seen as an advantage for Filipinos practicing in the medical field across the globe.
Seen as a $3-trillion global business by the year 2020, Alumno said in report last November 2 that medical tourism in the Philippines could play as one of the important factors to the country’s economic success. She also stated that with enough persuasion, these Pinoy medical practitioners, particularly those based in the US, could be seen as the key players to a promising medical tourism in the country.
Should these Filipino experts choose to head home and respond to the medical, surgical, and aesthetic needs of the Philippines, it would not be long before the country keeps up with the competition of medical travel with its neighbor countries. According to HealthCore, the Pinoy’s fluency in the English language could serve as an edge for the country compared to other Asian countries which assigns interpreters for each of their foreign patients.
HealthCore, the central source and resource of global healthcare travelers about Philippine healthcare, medical and wellness tourism, and retirement, cited some advantages should foreigners decide to invest in healthcare facilities and services in the Philippines.
Aside from the added job opportunities and a big boost in tourism, HealthCore said that foreign-invested medical hubs in the country could motivate local hospitals to improve their facilities and services in order to keep up with world-class competition. Foreigners who come to the country for medical treatments were also seen to generate more revenues than regular tourists because they stay longer for medical procedures.
These benefits may sound inspiring, but Alumno said that the local government needs to address some issues first like poor security, poverty, and lack of quality medical facilities and/or physicians before it could engage in the business of medical travel in the country.
In order for the Philippines to be considered as a destination for global health care, it also needs the support of the government to benchmark the standards of the doctors and medical facilities and keep up with international standards, said Alumno.
There is a road never too far for a country driven to make its way towards the path to success. Pinoy doctors and nurses may be taking risks in coming back to their country considering their hefty earnings abroad. As Filipinos, however, they must find it in their hearts to help their country reach its full potential. Because nobody knows what the Philippines could become but the Pinoys themselves.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(OCIE Nov 4-10, 2011 Sec A pg.6)
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