Middle Eastern Patients Seeking German Healthcare Travel Market

Middle Eastern patients are now seeking medical care abroad in record numbers. When a medical consumer searches for a healthcare provider, they should consider important factors such as the country where the doctor and hospital are located. The country determines many things about the quality of care you will receive.

Germany, for example, has a strong tradition of medicine, medical research and many competing facilities in different cities throughout the country. This ensures strong medical associations, licensing enforcement and doctor-review boards. Inspections of the hospital facilities and services are frequent and the German government requires these inspection results to be made public.

For many years, patients from the Middle East and GCC have been drawn to European countries, Germany in particular, for high end medical treatment not always available in their home nations. The Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress being held at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai from 15 to 17 November 2009 is a consumer event with free admission to the public.

It is a great opportunity to take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of the German pavilion, a grouping of 10 German hospitals and facilitators on hand to answer all your questions on medical travel to this particular region. Representatives from other countries such as India, Cyprus, Thailand, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran and France are also present at the exhibition.

The University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) is the largest hospital in Northern Germany and Juliane Hasselmann, who is in charge of marketing for the International Office at UKE, is at Healthcare Travel.

“UKE has a long tradition in medical treatment of international patients with almost 50 per cent of our patients travelling from the Middle East and GCC,” says Ms Hasselmann. “For more than 15 years, international patients have been coming from all over the world to get medical treatment from famous specialists, professors and doctors of the UKE. The International Office coordinates all aspects of international patients’ medical care, paying special attention to their personal, cultural and travel-related needs.

“The medical tourism market is growing rapidly and cooperation between countries looking for quality treatment and countries such as Germany, who have established themselves as a leading healthcare provider in the field, the industry will continue to grow at a faster pace. Trade and consumer events such as Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress in Dubai will help draw attention to the industry.”

The German General Hospital (Middle East) LLC now has permanent representation in the UAE with the opening of its Al Rawdah German Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi in 2009. Exhibiting at Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress, Markus Eulig, CFO, German General Hospital (Middle East) LLC would like to be part of the UAE’s process of establishing a quality healthcare system from the bottom up.