Medical Tourism in Costa Rica

Medical tourism or health tourism, currently has a dual function for a large percentage of the population in developed countries, as the possibility of surgery and medical treatment at a lower costs that otherwise they could not afford. On the other hand is a source of income for countries that offer the services. As PROMED (An organization founded in 2009 to promote and regulate medical tourism in Costa Rica) indicates it is a possibility for 49 million Americans that do not have health insurance and 108 million who do not have dental insurance, a situation that is similar in other European countries.

This represents an interesting opportunity for countries like Costa Rica where the cost of medical treatments represent a third of the United States. Also the quality of Costa Rican medical professionals and excellent hospital infrastructure also plays an important role. It is estimated that the country receives about 100,000 tourists each year who go through some type of medical procedure.

Medical tourism or health tourism is a new way to attract visitors, where medical services (surgeries, medical checkups, rehabilitation) represent the main attraction but also mean another set of related services like lodging, transportation, recovery and nutrition. In other words it’s not just health care and lodging, but also the enjoyment of the country and its numerous attractions.

Another key factors are the well trained doctors and the prestigious government and private universities training all these future doctors. In fact, the need to provide a quality health service and guidance is what led to the creation of PROMED, which aims to find the positioning of Costa Rica as one the countries providing world class medical services that go hand to hand with the tradition of Costa Rica as a warm welcoming country with lots to offer. All this will be possible by joining efforts between the Costa Rican government and the private sector.

There is a special interest from the governement and private institutions in promoting medical tourism in Costa Rica, and the advantages of the country are evident.

Source: PROMED