WILLEMSTAD, BOGOTA – Over the past few years Colombia has positioned itself as a regional leader in highly skilled medical procedures. This growth has been driven primarily by its affordability, a wide range of medical services and high service levels.
“Organizations such as the JCI (Joint Commission International) have acknowledged the high standards of our institutions. Nowadays, Colombia has four clinics accredited by this organization. In addition, the country has 22 hospitals out of the 43 best in Latin America in the ranking of the America Economia Magazine,” said Maria Claudia Lacouture, president of ProColombia.
Colombia also ranks third in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico in the number of institutions accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) including clinics such as Fundación Cardiovascular located in Bucaramanga, Fundación Santa Fe and Fundación Cardioinfantil located in Bogotá, and Hospital Pablo Tobón in Medellin.
The country’s health sector offers healing, preventive, aesthetic and wellness medicine. Healing medicine is dedicated to treat existing illnesses including cardiology, oncology, neurology, orthopedics and digestive diseases. Among preventive medicine, most of the tourists that travel to Colombia come to have executive, dental and ophthalmology checkups. Some of the most leading aesthetic treatments are orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry, constructive surgery and non-invasive procedures. In the case of wellness services the country provides specialized centers and thermal tourism.
Colombia’s medical tourism market continues to grow and has no sign of slowing down, and although there is a high demand for medical services, there is capacity to welcome more patients. The country has nine Health free zones in Bogotá, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, and Pasto Rionegro.
Patients from Caribbean countries such as Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Surinam, St. Marteen, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dominican Republic value Colombia’s healthcare infrastructure.
The country has become an attractive destination for complex medical procedures and treatments such as assisted reproduction, oncology, urology, physical rehabilitation and cardiology.
Medical Tourism in Colombia grew 6.4%
According to Colombia’s immigration records, 10,423 patients arrived in 2015 growing by 6.4% compared to the year before. The main countries of origin were the Netherlands (4,492 travelers); U.S. (1159); Venezuela (860); Ecuador (628); and Panama (625).
Bron: CuracaoChronicle