Singapore attracts visitors with medical services

Quality of health care is one of the factors that attract foreign patients to travel to Singapore for medical treatment.

According to the Global Medical Travel Association, Singapore ranked second, after Canada, in the 2020-2021 Medical Travel Index based on three indicators, including destination attractiveness, safety and quality of care. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, about 500,000 patients from all over the world came to Singapore each year for health care. It is estimated that medical tourism contributes more than 1 billion USD/year to the country's economy .

Singapore’s medical tourism figures are not surprising, as the Lion City’s healthcare sector has grown significantly over the past two decades. As early as 2000, the quality of Singapore’s healthcare system was ranked sixth best in the world and best in Asia by the World Health Organization. Over the past 20 years, the country has introduced advanced medical technologies for complex surgeries and promoted medical research.

Experiencing superior care is not the only motivation for patients to choose Singapore as a medical tourist destination. More and more insurance companies and medical facilities around the world are advising patients to come to Singapore for treatment at a fraction of the cost of other developed countries. For example, in the US, a knee replacement costs around $43,000, while in Singapore it is only $16,000. Similarly, coronary artery bypass surgery costs over $130,000 in the US, while in Singapore it is only $18,000. As a result, health insurance providers such as Aetna, BlueCross and BlueShield, Hannaford Bros have tied up with various hospitals and health care systems in Singapore to directly contract most complex orthopedic procedures.

Besides affordability, according to experts in the medical field, safety (one of the important metrics of medical tourism in the post-pandemic era) is pushing Singapore to the next level in the field of medical tourism. During the Covid-19 outbreak, Singapore was one of the countries with a very low Covid-19 mortality rate. A spokesperson for Raffles Hospital said that the number of foreign patients visiting the hospital has returned to pre-Covid-19 levels, accounting for 25% of the hospital's patient population.

The Singapore government has announced new related policies, including the Hotel Industry Transformation Map 2025 (Hotel ITM 2025) and the theme of "Fresh hotel" is one of the top priority strategies. Accordingly, the Singapore Tourism Board expects that the future of the Singapore hotel industry will depend on creating many valuable experiences, instead of simply accommodation and culinary services. At the same time, the content of Hotel ITM 2025 also aims to promote cross-industry partnerships and new business models. The main goal is to enhance the health care experience of tourists, providing quality places to rest and relax.

In order to meet the growing demand, hotels in Singapore have set a goal of enhancing the guest experience with a series of optimal health care services. For example, Oasia Resort Sentosa hotel with a cool tropical space, located right on Sentosa Island. On the health care journey here, visitors will experience a series of high-class services, bringing a feeling of relaxation with care, improving physical and mental health. The resort proactively provides yoga mats, health care instruction videos on demand... along with nutritious meals, meeting the needs of guests who value health care experiences.

In addition to accommodation facilities, a series of professional spas spread across the island nation are also gradually implementing separate services for tourists with specialized health care needs. This is an ideal place for business travelers who want to experience health care services through corporate treatment packages. These facilities also have VIP rooms for organizing private vacations and parties. Tourists can receive quality medical care in a safe and friendly environment, without worrying about political instability or social unrest.

The Singapore Tourism Board expects international arrivals to reach 12-14 million in 2023 and the country's tourism industry to fully recover by 2024.

Thai An

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