Medical Tourism on the rise in GCC, says experts at the International Medical Conference and Exhibition in Dubai
Patients considering seeking medical and wellness treatments abroad will be able to connect with leading experts in medical tourism and even find their perfect treatment plan at the International Medical travel Conference and Exhibition (IMTEC) opening on October 7th at the Dubai International Convention Centre.
“The number of Arab nationals and other international patients in the GCC are flying to Germany for medical treatment due to its high ranking in terms of quality,” says Dubai based, Warmund von Massenbach, GCC Regional Director for Premier Healthcare Germany.
Featuring medical tourism companies, consultation clinics, hospitals and conferences, the event attracts a high number of local companies looking to develop partnerships with leading European medical firms that have a regional presence.
Often considered by many as the “Hospital of Europe,” Germany has more than twice as many hospitals per 1,000 citizens than the United States and is well known internationally for its high standards and cost effective prices compared to the rest of EU.
The rise of Germany as a destination for GCC tourists seeking treatment has led to the increase of medical tourism facilitator companies like Premier Healthcare Germany, opening up offices in international cities like Dubai to cater to the demand.
Michael Meurs, CEO of Premier Healthcare Germany explains. “Being present in the region is a big step forward for our company, as it enables us to offer better service to our clients’ in the GCC including many Arab nationals as well as expats from countries like the UAE. We strongly believe in joint treatment programs with local doctors and German doctors….we offer the best of both worlds.”
Contracts for new medical facilities across the GCC are expected to reach US$9.53 billion by the end of this year, with governments putting an increased focus on medical tourism, according to the Dubai Health Authority.
Warmund von Massenbach GCC Regional Director for PHG says that full access to a variety of healthcare providers is what many government authorities and insurance companies are looking for.
“We have developed an organization with working procedures and a network which enables us to provide international patients to have full access to the German healthcare providers. We offer patients full access to hospitals, which normally are very difficult to enter for international patients.”
