South Korea aims to boost medical tourism

South Korea is making it easier for international patients to check in at the country’s medical facilities in order to attract a greater number of foreigners seeking medical care, with a target of 700,000 foreign patients a year starting from 2027, The Korea Herald reports.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said that the number of medical tourists increased by 70.1 percent in 2022, with about 248,000 people visiting Korea as the COVID-19 pandemic was brought under control.

Foreign patients who check in at "excellent medical institutions" selected by the government can apply for visas online instead of going to a Korean diplomatic mission abroad, with authorities planning to increase the number of such institutions from 27 to more than 50.

Similarly, the government will expand the pool of caregivers who can visit the country with medical tourists. Siblings will be able to accompany patients while previously only immediate family members like spouses were allowed to act as caregivers.

In addition, caregivers won’t have to submit documents to demonstrate they have adequate funds while applying for visas.

But better translation services are needed to boost medical tourism to the country."To attract more foreign patients, Korea needs to support various languages at hospitals and clinics and establish a system for foreign patients to make appointments with doctors through their websites," an offcial from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute told The Korea Herald.



Article source: Issue 3: Global Health Asia-Pacific Medical Centre and Aesthetics Awards 2023