Turkish Airlines aims to boost medical tourism from US
The offer involves weekly tours to Istanbul ’ s private hospitals
The aviation giant has launched a new programme offering medical tours in Turkey for people based in the US at the cost of US $ 5,000 , reported Hurriyet Daily News .
The company has signed deals with several private hospitals in Istanbul where Americans can get tested and receive treatment if needed .
�Health service costs are very high in the U . S . It also takes time to have tests and people have to wait for months for tests . We can offer �uick solutions with the weekly tours ,” said Ahmet Bolat , chairman of Turkish Airlines ’ board and executive committee , according to Hurriyet Daily News .
The country ’ s Health Tourism Department of the Health Services �eneral Directorate released an estimate showing that patients from the US could save from �� to �0 percent in treatment expenses when receiving care in Turkey , according to the report .
Turkey is a major player in the medical tourism sector , with about 290,000 foreign patients seeking treatment in the country in the first �uarter of 2022 and revenues amounting to US $ 332 million between �anuary and March , according to International Health Services , Inc .
Sabah government plans to attract healthcare travellers
The Malaysian state is well positioned to become a popular destination among Indonesian patients
Sabah aims to lure Indonesian travellers to seek medical treatment on its shores , said Sabah Tourism , Culture and �nvironment Minister Datuk �afry Ari�n , according to the New Straits Times .
He added that the state had �uality medical infrastructure and personnel to cater to patients from Indonesia , a market ripe for the taking since Batik Air had launched direct �ights from the Indonesian cities of Pontianak and Balikpapan in �alimantan to Sabah . He said that this was a good opportunity for the state as many travelled for medical reasons and these visitors could spend more than regular tourists .
Sabah could also offer healthcare travellers the chance to engage in “ nature healing ” due to its green environment . “ The state is famous for its natural beauty , �ora and fauna . This will give a positive impact during the healing process ,” he said .
In addition , many areas in �alimantan are closer to Sabah than Jakarta , where several renowned healthcare providers are located , and the decision by the Indonesian government to move the country ’ s capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan will likely increase the number of Indonesians seeking care in Sabah .
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com SEPTEMBER 2022
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