SEOUL, KOREA - Over the past few years, Korea has seen its tourism industry expand by leaps and bounds. This can largely be attributed to the Korean wave, global recognition of cultural areas, and initiatives to make Korea friendlier to foreigners. However, one area that is causing immense waves is a bit unorthodox: medical tourism.
One example of the growing demand in this industry is Mohamed Al Hadrama. Only eleven years old and from the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed traveled from the UAE to Korea last October along with his family. Mohamed has since received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at St. Mary’s Hospital, located in southern Seoul.
Diagnosed with leukemia in July 2011, Mohamed’s family has long been searching for a viable option to help their son. According to the boy’s mother, this surgery is not possible in Abu Dhabi. Hearing that the transplant procedure was being conducted in Korea, his family was quick to take advantage of the opportunity.
To date, Mohamed’s treatment has cost a substantial 420 million won (roughly 376,000 USD), making it the most expensive single overseas patient fee recorded in Korea. Despite this large sum, doctors estimate that the same surgery conducted in the United States may have cost twice as much as the procedure in Korea, reinforcing the merits of selecting Korea for advanced medical procedures.
In 2009, the government began concerted efforts to promote “medical tourism” as a growing industry in Korea. Significant results have been demonstrated, as the number of foreigners who have visited Korean doctors have jumped from 81,789 in 2010 to 122,297 in 2011 and finally 150,000 last year. Concurrently, the total amount spent on hospital bills from foreign patients has increased from 54.7 billion won in 2009 to more than 200 billion won in 2012. All of this points to a promising future for medical tourism.
Despite the significant signs of progress, many pundits are quick to point out areas that require improvement. Medical centers are working to cater to these issues, offering Halal food and prayer rooms for patients from the Middle East, as well as various cuisines that cater to global tastes and preferences.
Currently, laws are in place to impede insurance companies from attracting foreign patients. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is actively seeking methods of alleviating this issue and allowing local insurance companies to offer insurance products to foreign patients.
