Medical Tourism in Singapore

Medical Tourism in Singapore

            Medical tourism in Singapore has been growing globally, with most people seeking medical attention from different countries. Singapore is among the Asian countries that have established its medical tourism competitively to the world. Even though medical tourism in Singapore provides quality medical care for all those that travel to the destination for health care, it has also impacted some socio-cultural aspects of the tourists and citizens of Singapore.

One of the pillars that have been deployed by Singapore competitively is the use of modern technology and innovations in health care provisions. The government uses different medical technology like telemedicine and health informative to promote medical advancement. According to Ganguli & Ebrahim (2017), telemedicine has been used to exchange medical information to people who are different communities globally, promoting diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases such as chronic illness. The health informative has also been dedicated to developing training and developmental centers, which help in incorporating methods and medical devices with human capital. The better record keeping and availability of medical data for patients have minimized errors, leading to ethical and better patient outcomes. Therefore, the technological advancement in competition has promoted not only quality services, but also, put human ethics fast.

A second pillar that Singapore medical tourism had developed is Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in medicine. One of the recognized forms of PPPs in medical tourism is a public-private partnership in health care financing. Most of the destinations in Singapore for patients seeking medical attention belong to the private sector of medicine. According to Ganguli & Ebrahim (2017), with the high funding that the private sector gains from the increase in the number of patients visiting the nation, the government encourages the private sector for the use of their financial resources to promote the public health sector. Apart from the fact that public-private partnership provides a competitive edge of Singapore against all its competitors in medical tourism in Asia, the high financing gained from the private sector is beneficial to the health infrastructure of its residents. The earnings gained from the individual medical health care through the increase in the number of tourism patients are implemented to develop the health care of the society through expansion of their insurance for the poor, improve medical schools, and medical equipment that lead to high quality care. Therefore, the public-private partnership is beneficial for promoting health care to their residential health infrastructure.

The third pillar that has made Singapore Medical tourism competitive is the availability and development of human capital. Human capital is essential as it provides more advantages to the medical platform. Singapore has skilled doctors who are well educated and trained from medical schools in Europe and the United States. According to Ganguli & Ebrahim (2017), the development of technical excellence and competency in Singapore has developed more medical schools in their regions, such as Genome Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, and Human Genome Organization. These have extended support for the training of other physicians in their community. Having a budget of US$ 14.6 million from the SingHealth Investigational (IMU) and the support of coordination with other institutions, the majority of their medical practitioners learn and develop quality professionalism. The professionalism and education of these physicians promote the development of leadership skills, which leads to better patient outcomes. The medical knowledge, skills, and leadership responsibilities improve medical tourism and other local health care organizations for their community.

Finally, the full spread of the knowledge of quality medical procedures given in Singapore is accomplished through marketing strategies and its branding. The marketing mix that the medical tourism of Singapore portrays is through different practical tools. According to Ganguli & Ebrahim (2017), Singapore has obtained accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI) for more than her 21 medical centers; marketing of its quality services reaches different cultures around the world. The dissemination of valuable medical information through website publications by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has attracted more people globally to seek quality health care in the country. Additionally, the high number of tourist attractions is attributed to the competitiveness of affordable prices available for most classes of people, and its top ranking as a meeting destination for training and conventions. The reputation it has built through quality care globally has created a brand for its country, which has positively impacted her economic and socio-cultural relationship with tourists from different societies. Therefore, the competitiveness of Singapore through marketing and branding strategy places her in a reputable global ranking.

Conclusively, the competitiveness of Singapore’s medical tourism has been promoted by modern technology and innovations, through marketing strategies and its branding, developed is public-private partnerships (PPPs), and is the availability and development of human capital. The interrelation of these pillars has also promoted the global socio-cultural aspect in different communities, creating unity, respect, and understanding among people.