It is one of Asia’s fastest-growing industries and shows no signs of losing steam, even as the global economy collectively wobbles. Travelling abroad for medical treatment is now a multi-billion dollar business.

From a nip-and-tuck to a heart bypass, hospitals from India to Singapore and South Korea treat more than one million foreign patients a year – lured by cut-price surgery, no waiting lists, cutting-edge technology, and highly trained doctors.

Industry experts predict ...

When health goes wrong, it can be a troubling time. But if it goes wrong when you’re in a location you’re not necessarily familiar with, where the attitudes to treatment and care are different, and where cultural acceptances and language are sometimes incomprehensible, those troubles become deeper. I know, because I’ve lived abroad and been there myself.
I recently came back from a trip to China, where I’ve been inspecting hospitals to make sure they’re of a high enough qualit...

For most, the consumption of alcohol barely warrants a second thought. It offers mild relaxation or a gentle distraction that plays a rather minor role in our everyday lives. But what about those for whom it is much more than that? What does an alcoholic or addict look like? Sure we’ve seen the stereotypes portrayed in films: the washed up street junkie, the dishevelled man falling off the barstool, but what about the hospital nurse who pilfers pain medication from her patients? Or the succ...

Hawle Treppenlifte, located in Ruppichteroth, Germany, belongs to the worldwide Hawle International Group, but operates independently beside the Hawle Armaturen GmbH at Freilassing. There, one can engage with more than 40 years of history developing and producing first-class controls and instruments for municipal gas and water supplies, an industry in which Hawle must rank as one of the market leaders worldwide.

Engelberth Hawle, founder and proprietor of the firm, unfortunately became...

Hair loss affects some 25 percent of men in their 20s and two thirds of all men after the age of 60. Male pattern baldness does not have any intrinsic side effect aside from hair loss so many simply consider it a cosmetic medical condition, but for those who suffer from it, the effects can be devastating, with social and psychological consequences.

Hair transplant techniques have steadily improved over time, but now a revolutionary technique called Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) ha...

Male hair loss, or male pattern baldness (MPB), affects the top of the scalp, whereas the sides and back are immune from this loss. Donor hair around the sides and back can be partially moved to the top where it will continue to grow and not suffer from MPB. The cause of the loss is dihydrotestosterone, created when an enzyme in the body combines with testosterone. Over years hair transplant techniques have been crude but this has changed with a revolutionary technique called Follicular Unit ...

Ultra Sculpt offers an innovative new way of removing fat and sculpting the body using focused ultrasonic waves. Unlike traditional procedures, ultrasonic liposuction poses none of the associated risks such as infection, scarring and has no side effects or need for an anesthetic as it is a non-surgical and non-invasive treatment, totally painless and needs no recovery time. In America, Ultra Sculpt is known as the ‘Lunchtime Lipo’ and is responsible for some of the celebrity six-packs we...

Karen & Dean Thompson from Buckinghamshire, England, knew they wanted children soon after getting married in 2000. But after an unsuccessful 18 months, and no baby in sight, they consulted their GP.

With tests completed, the couple were diagnosed with unexplained infertility and offered an IVF cycle on the NHS. The couple was lucky, a lot of UK couples have to pay for private treatment from the outset, however, they felt they never really knew what was going on and felt uninvolv...

The concept of medical tourism is not new. Patients have been travelling for decades to find better treatment options outside of their home country, but now this trend is becoming even more prevalent as developing countries offer highly specialised medical treatments, with better results. Success alone is not the only factor, and patients are realising they can receive equal quality, or potentially better care at a lower cost elsewhere. In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is one of the treatments th...

The biggest factor of rising costs in any market, be it healthcare, agriculture or any other type of trade, is inflation. In the last 20 years, inflation has resulted in the costs of everyday goods and services doubling. However, medical inflation has risen far more steeply; approximately twice the normal rate of inflation.

A replacement hip cost approximately £230 in 1989, but in 2009, patients pay around £880, and it begs the question; what’s so different about healthcare from ot...

Situated along the Adriatic Sea and its hinterland, the Republic of Croatia stretches from the slopes of the Alps, deep into the Pannonia Valley to the banks of the Danube and Drava rivers. In the countryside, where the Mediterranean, the mountains and the Pannonia plains come together in a unique harmony of natural beauty; visitors can come across excitingly different landscapes within little more than 100 km. Invited to discover and enjoy the beauties of Croatia, its mild climate, the cryst...

Moving to a different continent can be an exciting – and daunting – step in any career. Whatever business you’re in, it’s crucial that you are well prepared for the lifestyle change and have expert support to look after your health when working abroad.

You can take the first steps to good health abroad before getting on the plane. It’s crucial that you access information about your destination country before you leave. The World Health Organisation (WHO)...

On a par with international standards and trends, Bay View’s highly experienced doctors and nursing staff are recruited nationally for their specialist expertise, assuring Bay View can at all times maintain their reputation for the highest standard medical care in an upmarket, hi-tech and peaceful environment. Technological advances worldwide continuously make new equipment available, and Bay View Private Hospital remains up-to-date with the latest developments. Their Cardiac Unit, for ...

Turkey receives patients mainly from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo and Syria. The country’s practices are preferred mostly for eye surgery, dental, heart surgery, orthopaedic and IVF treatments.

ByzAlliance is a medical consulting and medical travel service company, located in the very heart of Istanbul, close to the major hospitals and health institutions, and accommodation. Thus facilitating the health care needs of med...

It’s a difficult-to-resist recipe: top quality high tech dental surgery; astonishing low prices; a warm, agreeable climate; no waiting list hassle. Oh, and perhaps a relaxing dip in the hotel pool afterwards. CTG Healthcare has been providing top quality dental work for an increasing number of British people fed up with high prices and lengthy NHS waiting lists for some time.

No surprise that CTG, based in historic Izmir, host to many international cultural festivals, has snapped up ...