In this age of globalization, the dissolving of barriers which previously impeded travel among countries has led to unprecedented movement of people across borders, seeking a better life for themselves or their families. Many citizens are plagued by inadequate healthcare programmes and experience difficulty in getting specialized treatment for their healthcare needs at a reasonable price. Hence, they turn to medical tourism for procedures they require to undergo in order to enjoy a better quality of life in the future.

Recognizing these phenomena, many medical tourism companies have been established to enable international patients to access quality healthcare in Singapore.

Key Services to Look Out For

As medical tourism requires a substantial amount of logistical arrangements, ranging from appointment booking with the healthcare provider in a foreign land, visa clearance and even airline tickets reservations and securing accommodation, a key consideration when selecting medical tourism companies is whether they provide one-stop services. One-stop services bring great convenience and comfort knowing that an experienced team is handling your health needs. A few companies even offer quite a few free services such that there is virtually no difference in the amount patients pay to medical providers if they utilize the companies’ referral services.

Other services:

· Enabling access to a large network of experienced specialist doctors in Singapore.
· Referring patients to specialist doctors and established hospitals.
· Arranging for initial feedback from specialist doctors based on patients inquiries.
· Providing hands-on support to patients and families during stressful times.
· Providing concierge services e.g. lodging accommodation, airline reservation, transportation, local and foreign tours.
· Providing translation services.
· Providing all-inclusive hospital-to-hospital air-ambulance services to patients with critical conditions.
· Providing storage of electronic medical records with comprehensive security capabilities.

Distinguishing Features to Look Out For

One of the most important features to look out for when selecting a medical tourism intermediary is to see if they have an unwavering dedication towards ensuring the well-being of patients at all times throughout their medical stay in Singapore.

This can be seen if the company is fully aware of the tremendous amounts of stress that patients and their families experience and hence assists them to understand their treatment options, in the gargantuan planning process and secure the best medical services subject to their preferences and budgets.

Another important feature to take note of is the presence of personalized customer support service. Some companies go the extra mile to put their patients at ease with their presence and assistance during complicated processes such as visa applications, airlines reservations, lodging arrangements, hospital admission and discharge, bills review and even hand-holding during major surgeries. As the decision to embark on medical tourism is a major one, some companies arrange for specialist doctors to provide initial feedback to patients’ inquiries to facilitate their decision making process.

Most significantly, it is the provision of valuable one-stop services during stressful times that would ensure a fuss-free arrangement to Singapore for medical treatment. This allows you to focus on the most important task – your full recovery in a peaceful environment.

Why Singapore?

A global city with a stellar reputation as a medical hub, Singapore displays outstanding healthcare standards. She has 13 JCI-accredited hospitals and enjoys partnerships with renowned US medical facilities such as Jules Stein Eye Institute and John Hopkins Singapore International Medical Center. Her specialist doctors undergo an additional 6-8 years of specialty training on top of their General Medicine course in top UK, US, Australia and Singapore medical centers, ensuring a high level of expertise and professionalism. More importantly, Singapore is ranked 1st in Asia and 6th worldwide by WHO for her healthcare infrastructure. This is an outstanding feat, compared to 37th positioned USA.

With her low crime rate and stable political situation, Singapore is conducive for patients to recuperate. The cleanliness and high food safety standards provide comfort to families and patients in their vulnerable recovery stage. The good accessibility within Singapore and the use of English as the lingua franca also allow patients and their families to move around Singapore with minimal difficulty, ideal for the post-recovery day trips around the island in celebration of a better quality of life ahead.