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Medical tourism in Israel is a subset of the medical tourism industry, in which patients travel to other countries to have procedures performed at a lower cost.

Israel is emerging as a popular destination for medical tourists. In 2006, 15,000 foreigners travelled to the country for medical procedures, bringing in $40 million of revenue.

The advantages of Israel for health tourism include good natural resources; stable, comfortable climate all year round; a progressive medical systems, and scenic locations which have a calming effect on patients.

Overview

Medical tourists choose Israel for several reasons. Some come from European nations such as Romania where certain procedures are not available. Others come to Israel, perhaps most commonly from the US, because surgery and in-vitro fertilization treatments costs considerably less than in their home countries.

Other medical tourists come to Israel to visit the Dead Sea, a world-famous therapeutic resort. The Israel Ministry of Tourism and several professional medical services providers have set out to generate awareness of Israel's medical capabilities.

Advantages of Israel

Israel has emerged as a medical tourism destination due to the many advantages it offers, including first rate quality of care. Israel’s facilities are recognized throughout the world, with regular contacts maintained on a reciprocal basis with major medical and scientific research centers abroad. Israel is frequently the host venue for international conferences on a wide variety of medical topics.

Statistics

In recent years, thousands of visitors have come to Israel to undergo medical procedures. In 2006, 15,000 foreigners traveled to Israel for procedures, bringing in $40 million in revenue for the country. This includes money spent on the procedures themselves, as well as on accommodations, sightseeing and shopping.

Countries of Origin

Patients from all over the world are going to Israel for procedures, from countries such as France and Germany in Europe, and Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq.

American patients also are flocking to Israel, taking advantage of the country’s quality healthcare, at a fraction of the cost. For example, a patient with no health insurance who needs bypass surgery would spend approximately $120,000 in the United States. The same procedure performed in Israel would cost approximately, $30,000.

Medical Procedures

But it is not only prices that draw patients. For those in need of bone marrow transplants in Cyprus (where the procedure is unavailable), Israel has become their main destination.

Israel's high standards of health services, top-quality medical resources and research, modern hospital facilities and an impressive ratio of physicians and specialists to population are reflected in the country's low infant mortality rate (4 per 1,000 live births) and long life expectancy (81.8 years for women, 77.6 for men).

Patients come to Israel for procedures such as bone marrow transplants, heart surgery and catheterization, oncological and neurological treatments, car accident rehabilitation and more.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is another reason why medical tourists flock to Israel, known for its high success rates and considerably lower costs. IVF costs $3,000-$3,500 in Israel, compared to $16,000-$20,000 in the U.S.

Psoriasis patients also flock to Israel for the Dead Sea, known as one of the most therapeutic resorts in the world.

Dead Sea Health Effects

The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment for several reasons. The mineral content of the water, the very low content of pollens and other allergens in the atmosphere, the reduced ultraviolet component of solar radiation, and the higher atmospheric pressure at this great depth each have specific health effects. For example, persons suffering reduced respiratory function from diseases such as cystic fibrosis seem to benefit from the increased atmospheric pressure.

Sufferers of the skin disorder psoriasis also benefit from the ability to sunbathe for long periods in the area due to its position below sea level and subsequent result that many of the sun's harmful UV rays are reduced.

Thus, the region's climate and low elevation have made it a popular center for several types of therapies:

• Climatotherapy: Treatment which exploits local climatic features such as temperature, humidity, sunshine, barometric pressure and special atmospheric constituents.
• Heliotherapy: Treatment that exploits the biological effects of the sun's radiation.
• Thalassotherapy: Treatment that exploits bathing in Dead Sea water.

References

1. ^ Welcoming the world's ills, Haaretz, Feb 8, 2008
2. Health tourism in Israel: A developing industry Niv, Amiad (Adi) Tourism Review. Vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 30-32. 1989
3. Medicine in Israel
4. Medical Tourism Israel
5. "Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease". Dead Sea Research Center. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
6. S. Halevy et al. Dead sea bath salt for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris: a double-blind controlled study. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Volume 9, Issue 3: 237-242.

• Tourism in Israel
• Medical tourism
• Healthcare in Israel