02-Oct-16 746,000 foreign visitors landed in Turkey for medical treatment in 2015. As many as 100,000 arrived for hair implant surgeries, two-thirds of them from the UAE. Turkey earned US$5.8 bn from legal medical tourism in 2015. Medical treatment in Turkey can cost as little as half the price in countries such as Germany and the United States. [image: Murad / Reuters]

30-Sep-16 Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS), Thailand’s largest hospital operator, plans to spend THB12.8 bn (USD370 mn) to build a luxury healthcare centre to serve rising demand from tourists seeking premium medical services. The clinic will focus on anti-aging, neuroscience and brain health. [image: Customs Today]

29-Sep-16 Plans to turn an unused shoe factory in the US city of Auburn, Maine, into a medical tourism centre for Chinese patients are faltering. Chinese investment company Miracle Enterprise plans a 200-room recovery centre for wealthy Chinese seeking medical care at the Central Maine Medical Center. Miracle Enterprise needs to find USD40 mn, but is struggling to attract investors. [image: IMTJ]

29-Sep-16 The Philippines is poised to take advantage of the global medical tourism market, positioning itself as a provider of excellent and affordable hospital care. The country’s advantages include modern facilities, fluency in English, good infrastructure, proximity to Asia’s major cities, “and the ability of a caring local community to help in total healing in body, mind and spirit.” [image: Department of Tourism, Philippines]

23-Sep-16 Merck’s immunotherapy cancer drug Keytruda is finding its way into China as the first imported drug approved for use under a pilot program on the resort island of Hainan intended to boost medical tourism. The zone in Boao is likely to attract patients who would otherwise travel to Hong Kong or Macau for drugs yet to be approved in China. [image: Anthony Wallace / AFP / Getty Images]