Africa has long been known for its oil and mineral rich countries, but equally infamous for its wars, problems in government and overloaded support systems, such as healthcare. However South Africa has eluded this stigma and is fast becoming one of the most sought after destinations for medical treatments and surgery.
Medical tourism’s popularity is growing worldwide, with many patients selecting overseas destinations for their surgery. The most popular procedures are cosmetic, ophthalmic and dental surgery.
The main reason many foreigners are going this route is the affordability of the high quality private facilities and their skilled surgeons.
Owing to its high standard of private hospitals and world renowned surgeons, South Africa is fast becoming one of the most sought after destinations for this growing trend. It offers a warm and comfortable climate, a favourable exchange rate and English is spoken fluently throughout the country.
With many multi-national companies based in Africa, there is a need for top quality medical facilities and trained staff. Unfortunately some African countries cannot provide this service and South Africa is starting to experience an influx of patients from Africa seeking medical treatment.
BodyContours Healthcare Group from South Africa specializes in medical and health tourism. They have offices located in the major metropolitans in South Africa, namely Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. They have noticed an increase in Africans visiting South Africa for surgery, whereas before they mainly focused on the European market.
According to Donovan Bradley, Public Relations Director at BodyContours, “Over the past couple of months, we have experienced an increase in the number of enquiries we receive from Africa. Only recently did we have a client who flew in from Mozambique for the weekend, had minor surgery and returned home on the Tuesday.
Maputo is only an hour flight from Johannesburg so it was an ideal situation for our client. She received top quality medical treatment at a modern facility only an hour flight from home.”
BodyContours said that most of their African clients from Angola, Botswana and Mozambique, owing to the proximity of these countries.
“Johannesburg and Cape Town are proving to be the most popular destinations for these clients, as there are many direct flights into Africa from these international airports. It makes their stay quick and hassle free,” said Bradley.
BodyContours Healthcare Group
www.bodycontours.com
