Misconception #2: Foreign Hospitals and Clinics do not have proper medical facilities and procedures.
International standards require medical facilities to be a safe and secure environment for patients. Moreover, international standards pay great attention to the training of medical personnel. In foreign countries, medical facilities and physicians need to comply with local laws and standards. Although some of these countries already comply with international standards, some hospitals and clinics decide to be accredited by an international organization to appeal to foreign patients and gain their confidence.
The most popular international accreditation is the Joint Commission International (JCI). As a global organization, JCI has been working with healthcare organizations and ministries of health in more than 80 countries around the world. Another popular accreditation is the American Association for Accreditation for Ambulatory Surgery Facilities International (AAAASFI), which accredits more than 2,000 clinics in 12 countries.
Though we cannot claim that we have been to every operating room, clinic or waiting room in the developing world, we can say that we have always been pleasantly surprised with every clinic we have visited. In some cases, the facilities have been of equal or better quality than those of the developed world. Many offices have state-of-the-art equipment and offer the latest procedures and therapies available worldwide.
Many times, foreign doctors educated in developed countries keep up to date with the latest medical developments and want to offer their patients the best possible treatments. For this, we consistently encounter the newest technologies at our doctors’ offices. In addition, hospitals and clinics in medical tourism destinations have invested heavily in state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment to attract foreign patients.
We know patients are interested in seeing and researching the medical facilities before traveling for medical services so HuliHealth provides every physician with the opportunity to post pictures of their medical facilities on their individual doctor profile. In addition, if a doctor’s clinic or hospital is internationally accredited, the accreditation will be displayed on their individual profile. We recommend reviewing the accreditations, photographs and patient’s reviews to more clearly understand the quality you can expect at the doctor’s facilities.
Do you have an experience in a foreign hospital or clinic? Please share it with us!
By Andrew Schemmel and Gabriel Perez