Singapore can draw medical travellers from US: Expert

The Straits Times, February 28, 2007


SINGAPORE is in a good position to lure American medical travellers, the author of a new guide aimed at this market said yesterday.

Mr Josef Woodman, author and publisher of Patients Beyond Borders, said Singapore's strengths lie in its quality of health care and an 'immediate cultural familiarity' with the widespread use of English here.

Singapore has 11 hospitals that have been audited and certified by the Joint Commission International (JCI), the overseas arm of the United States' largest hospital accreditation agency.

That means it has the biggest number of JCI-accredited institutions worldwide outside of the US. In contrast, India has five, while Thailand has two.

Mr Woodman said: 'That is huge. Americans trust American credentials.'

Yet Singapore is less known than India and Thailand in the US as a destination for medical travel.

Dr Jason Yap, director of the Singapore Tourism Board's health-care services, said: 'A lot of the coverage in the American media has focused on India and Thailand, so this book may help present Singapore as a third option that compares very well to them.'

About 150,000 Americans went abroad for medical attention last year, which is estimated to be less than 5 per cent of the potential market.

Mr Woodman said the US medical travel market was worth an estimated US$20 billion last year, and is expected to double by 2010.

He was in town to launch his new book, ahead of its March 12 publication date in the United States, at a two-day international conference on medical travel held at Sheraton Towers Hotel yesterday.

The book, which features Singapore and is priced at US$22.95 (S$35), can be bought via online book retailer Amazon.com.