Costa Rica will host the first Medical and Well-Being Conference.
The cat is out of the bag for Costa Rica Health. This week the Central American country found out it will host the first Medical and Well-Being Tourism Conference in late April, 2010. This will reunited some 350 plus operators of health services from more than 20 countries, including insurance companies, self-insurance companies, medical tourism and wellness agencies and investors in the industry. Many U.S. insurance companies are taking a hard look at what Costa Rica and other Latin countries are going to offer to help reduce or provide alternative services with the troubled health care in the U.S.
The conference will focus their attention on health centers throughout Latin-American and visit local hospitals, wellness centers and doctors. They will also be very much interested in the growth of online well care services, who offer their expertise in providing medical tourism packages. Obviously this has gotten much support from government agencies, like the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Competitiveness and Regulations Improvement. Both heads of these ministries are excited about the conference.
Allan Flores, Ministry of Tourism, pointed out, “events such as these are perfect stages that allow the promotion of this activity within the tourism industry and help move along the subject of the importance of the bond between tourism and health. Also, it allows us to take advantage of our comparative characteristics in the field of health with the purpose of incrementing this important segment, as a valuable generator of income and to strengthen our positioning as a destination for the international market”
Other groups like the Association for Shelters and Hotels for Medical and Dental Recovery (CRMD, for its initials in English) are also taking an active role. CRMD is dedicate in providing pre and post-op medical attention and needs to foreign patients. CRMD solicits small and medium sized hotels so they can provide the best medical assistance and dental treatments in Costa Rica and at the same time seek a place of recovery with high levels of care and in attractive settings. Costa Rica eco-tourism will play a major role.
Another interested groups are online wellcare companies like Costa Rican Medical Tours (CRMT). For example, CRMT offers medical travel packages of 10 days or more. Packages includes boutique hotels, tours of Arenal Volcano and recreations like white water rafting, and a consultation with doctors like Dr. Jacobo Zafrani, a pioneer in offering a proven surgical cure for diabetes; Dr. Alberto Argüello, who specializes in plastic surgery; or noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Oscar Oeding. And if one elects to have medical service their wellness and recovery would be in places like the CheTica Ranch and also included in the package.
Health tourism has great potential for Costa Rica. Two years ago about 20,000 foreigners went to Costa Rica for health services, this year around 30,000, or a 30% increase. Over 65% were North Americans. In the next five years that number is expected to be over 100 thousand.
See related articles, Diabetes Cure in Costa Rica, Stem Cell Care Treatment, Wellness and Health Care and Wellness and Rehab
More info:
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Date; 26 April 2010
Duration; 3 days
Costa Rica will host the First Latin America Congress on Global Medicine and Wellness. It is the opportunity for the Latin American region to show the quality of its healthcare offering. Key industry leaders from insurance companies, self-insured employers, TPAs of the US and Europe are expected.
The 3 day Congress will feature panels and workshops on health as a social product, quality and patients security, legal aspects, marketing and branding.
Contact name: Massimo Manzi;
Contact telephone: 0050622971436;
Contact email: mmanzi(at)meic.go.cr or go to Global Medicince Congress
What are the exact dates and location?
We put the info at the bottom of the post
We feel that dental tourism in Costa Rica is going to have huge growth in the upcoming years.