Smile Singapore!

In 1996, Singapore coined a “Smile Singapore” campaign. The island was then worried about its tourism industry, and decreed that Singaporeans should put on a happy face when meeting a visitor to the country. Fast forward 10 years, the island has done away with the slogan for a new one that is “Uniquely Singapore”, and has even more to grin about. It has found a new niche to earn those fickle tourist dollars.

Singapore’s Dental Care

Some of the most advanced dental care in Asia can be found in Singapore. The island has one of the highest dentist-population ratio of 1:5,000, and almost half of the population here adhere to the twice a year visit to the dentist.

Here, the dental infrastructure is of the highest quality, with most of the equipments and dental products manufactured abroad. The equipments are also well maintained according to stringent criteria, ensuring that dental care is prompt and professional, and of course, safe.
With the high standard of dental care, Singapore is Southeast Asia’s dentistry center and you would come here for the best dental treatment available. Patients seeking treatment come from western countries, but dentists here also see to many patients from neighboring countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

So if you are looking to brighten that smile of yours, straighten the wry tooth gone crooked or perhaps even to change your whole set of smilies altogether, Singapore may just be the country to make you smile once more.

Singapore…. Singled out

A Closer look at the Health and Medical Industry in Singapore

This island city boast a growing list of number 1 spots under its belt. No. 1 port, airport, mathematical geniuses …. and the list goes on.The city is also famed for its medical care. Standard is top notch, and service is uniformly excellent. It is therefore no surprise that the island state is a popular destination for medical tourists as well as medical evacuations in the region. Prices are also generally lower than the West, although may be more expensive compared to its neighbors in the region.

Three key agencies, the Economic Development Board, the Singapore Tourism Board and the International Enterprise Singapore have come together under the Singpaore Medicine Banner to develop the Republic in one of Asia’s leading health care destinations.

Statistics in 2003 showed that 230,000 foreigners sought medical care here. Singapore Medicine is aiming to serve one million foreign patients a year by 2012 and generate $3 billion in revenues and create at least 13,000 jobs in the health industry.

Singapore provides the complete spectrum of healthcare services from primary care such as health screening, to quaternary care services such as organ transplants. Foreign patients also come to Singapore for a broad range of specialist care including Cardiology, Gynaecology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Oncology, Otorhinolaryngology, Urology, Neurosurgery and Opthalmology, besides General Surgery and General Medicine.
The country to specializes in services for cardiology, ophthalmology, and oncology.

Positioned as more than a centre for the treatment of illnesses, Singapore is also a destination where visitors can select from a wide range of services to enhance their health and well being. These include health screening, medical wellness, aesthetic and anti-ageing programmes.

The country is also a thriving dental hub. More about this in our next blog.

Why are medical tourists coming to Asia?

Simple, its cheaper! Much cheaper!

This is the main pull factor that medical tourists are thronging into hospitals here in Asia. Just think, cost of a treatment for example a heart bypass would cost only a fraction of the price one has to pay for treatment in the United States. You would probably have to fork out close to US$80,000 while you only need to pay about US$10,000 here in Asia.

And although its cheaper, the stardard of healthcare is just as good, if not better than those in developed countries. Doctors here in Asia have also been professionally trained in the West, and are the best the countries has to offer. Thanks to a favourable exchange rate, more medical tourists are choosing Asia to get a bigger bang for their buck. The U.S. dollar, the British Pound as well as the Euro are all bigger currencies compared to Asian currencies and for those coming here, get more value for their money.

As a travel destination, Asia is home to some of the most beautiful tropical and exotic locations for travels. Resting and relaxing is an important way to recuperate after a surgery and what better way to do so than enjoying a cocktail perched on a beach bench facing the open sea, in complete anonymity?

A combination of factors have lead to the increase popularity of medical tourism, and as more information becomes available, medical tourism looks set to become the way that more people are going to seek more affordable and enjoyable alternative medical treatment.