It is now a day to day trend for people to travel to high-quality medical service provider countries seeking medical care and treatment. Particularly, in a situation where they are tied up with particular health problems and disorders, looking for alternatives in overseas is a common phenomenon.
Thus, even if a number of criteria should be fulfilled and the decision is influenced by a variety of factors, medical tourism is growing rapidly worldwide and has become the preferences of many, of course those who can afford it. In turn, global investors are increasingly showing keen interest to spend their capital on healthcare asset and the industry is flourishing rapidly generating huge amount of capital for destination countries.
As documents indicate, medical tourism also known as medical travel or global healthcare is the process in which a patient travels to another destination for medical or health and wellness services. It is clear every year thousands of Ethiopians travel abroad, mainly to Thailand, India, South Africa, and other destinations in search of high quality medical services. As a result, a huge amount of foreign currency is spent to those countries.
However, subsequent to the effort the country has made to improve its healthcare services, over the past decades impressive achievements are gained, though they are not suffice. It was enabled to expand and access medical services throughout the country. Most importantly, it was enabled to offer complex treatments which were unthinkable in earlier decades. For instance, a fully operational cardiac catheterization laboratory service, capable of providing clinically complex care to critically ill-heart patients, is commenced. Not only has that, cancer treatments become operational.
Most importantly, kidney dialysis, the service which has been entailing patients a huge amount of capital in overseas, has become fully functional. And kidney transplantation has also become a reality locally. Recently, the first phase of a center in which infertility treatment is offered launched. By doing so, the country is advancing its services and striving to lessen the health burden of its citizens and save the hard currency spend in overseas.
Concurrently, it is endeavoring to be one of medical destinations in the region and beyond. Behind all these successes, hence, the leading St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College is there. Hospital Deputy Provost Dr. Lidya Tefera noted that the Hospital has been doing it best of level to provide quality services. Successively, it is recording greater achievements.
For instance, currently it is enabled to offer pre and post natal services for over 800 and 3000 mothers respectively. The number of women who got this service in the College has exceeded to 30 thousand per year. Furthermore, the Hospital has realized facility that deals with Mother Child Health (MCH) care with over 400 beds. “We are at the right track in realizing the ambitious targets of nation- safe delivery as well reducing under five mortality rates.”
“With the aim to enhance maternal and child care, the College is constructing new, eightfloor building. The building will commence giving services within a month’s time.” To hone up our efforts in making sure customers’ satisfaction, the Hospital has opened Fertility and Reproductive Medicine Facility Center equipping with state of the art medical equipments and well trained human capital, she added.
What is more, the Center has launched infertility treatment and it is planned to treat 500 couples this year and 2,000 annually after this year, Dr. Lidya stated. Mentioning that the service is the first ever center of government health institution, she said that the treatment is assisted with state of the art medical equipments. As to her, every year closely 1000 people travel abroad in searching of this treatment spending significant amount of hard currency.
Hopefully, the launching of the service will benefit thousands of people and save the hard currency spend to medical treatment in overseas, she remarked. Hospital’s Vice Provost and Gynecologist Dr. Thomas Mekuria for his part noted that the Hospital is working with pertinent stakes of horizontal and vertical health facilities in reducing maternal mortality. Residents of medical students and medical staff are engaged in delivering quality services within the capital (Kolfe Health Center, Minilik II, Ras Desta and Yekatit hospitals, including in Oromia and Southern Nations and Nationalities states.
Hospital’s center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine CEO Senait Fisseha also said: “we provide various services family planning and assisted reproductive technology (ART) is used to treat infertility. The Hospital’s efforts to lower the cost spend in overseas bearing fruits in actualizing medical tourism.
“We know that many had been travelling abroad for medication. The travel apart from travel and medication cost, cause cultural challenges.” The Hospital is now open for clients of locals and neighboring countries. We hope many could benefit from the center in the forth coming years” she remarked.
The Ethiopian Herald, February 13/2019
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
