South Korea, Taiwan pursue the nip and tuck tourists
Updated
Medicine is big money in Asia, and South Korea and Taiwan both want more of it. The two countries have launched efforts to expand their budding medical tourism sectors. In doing so, they're taking on the acknowledged giants in the Asian medical tourism industry: India, Thailand and Singapore.
Presenter: Beverley Wang
Speakers: Elly Kim, marketing manager, Korea Health Industry Development Institute; Amy Liou, manager, Taiwan Trade Centre, Sydney; Liu Mingshun, senior specialist, Bureau of Medical Affairs, Taiwan Department of Health; Gaye Phillips, CEO, Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons; Michael Lee, director of Formosa Travel and Holidays, Sydney; Tom Griffith, executive vice president, Formosa Medical Travel, Taipei
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WANG: South Korea and Taiwan both say their biggest draw for medical tourists is high-tech medical care at low cost. For years, South Korea's overseas medical tourism industry worked on an informal basis. But since new legislation last May, medical providers can now advertise directly for overseas patients. Elly Kim is the marketing manager with KHIDI, or the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
KIM: Since the law has been changed we more focus on Russia and Arabic countries, Mongolia, also east Asian countries. Comparing to last year we expect more patients to visit Korea.
WANG: South Korea's national tourism organisation operates a medical tourism promotion centre. And Ms Kim says South Korea is a popular destination for taking a holiday, and getting some plastic surgery as well.
KIM: In Asian countries, Korea is the frontrunner in terms of plastic surgery. Korea actually famous for nose surgery, and eye surgery, you know, lifting all kinds of areas.
WANG: But South Korea has an equally high-tech competitor in the neighbourhood, with Taiwan also looking to cash in on the medical tourism bonanza. So far the two countries are on relatively equal footing when it comes to attracting overseas visitors seeking new hips, knees and noses. In 2008, South Korea treated more than 60,000 overseas patients, while Taiwan estimates 65,000 arrived over the same period. Taiwan is banking on eased travel restrictions and a shared language to give it an edge with China's massive emerging middle class. Amy Liou is the manager of the Taiwan Trade Centre in Sydney.
LIOU: Our next target would be the mainland China, because now we have better relationship with mainland China. Based on the same language that we speak, so it is an advantage for Taiwan to recruit medical tourism from mainland China.
WANG: The strategy seems to be working. Cosmetic procedures in Taiwan have more than tripled in one year, from 1,072 in 2008 to more than 3,400 in the first months of 2009 alone. Taiwan is also promoting its doctors as being skilled in more complex procedures like liver transplants and joint replacements. Liu Mingshun, of the Bureau of Medical Affairs in Taiwan's Health Department.
LIU MINGSHUN: (TRANSLATION) With regards to health checkups and cosmetic surgery, in this area, the cost in comparison to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia is not that competitive. But when it comes to treatment of serious medical conditions, we offer high quality at an affordable price. So that's the aspect we are promoting.
WANG: Gaye Phillips, the chief executive of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, says Australians certainly are interested in overseas surgery.
PHILLIPS: I field a lot of calls in my office about people considering surgery overseas in Taiwan, Korea, and certainly Bangkok, China, Malaysia, so a number of countries in the whole Asia Pacific region.
WANG: But she says people tempted by the idea of a holiday plus quick surgery should do their homework before jumping in.
PHILLIPS: Not all surgery overseas is poor obviously, but they just need to consider these kinds of questions: does the anaesthetist, the attending nurses, the surgeon themselves, have the same standard as a fully-qualified surgeon in Australia?
WANG: She says careful consideration is particularly important since many packages are offered by private companies. Businessman Michael Lee is director of Formosa Travel and Holidays in Sydney. For just under $US4,000, his company offers a week-long package holiday in Taiwan - which includes airfare, accomodation, a full day of medical screenings and hot spring visits. He says he hopes to launch a new travel package - focusing on cosmetic surgery - in the coming months.
LEE: Put it this way, compared with Australia if you want to do a heart scan, a full scan - I'm talking about 3D scan, all right - and you want to do a brain, full 3D scan for preventative purpose, it'd probably take you one month to one month and a half. But in Taiwan, the package we do is everything in one day.
WANG: But Taiwan still has some streamlining to do as it tries to grow its medical tourism market share. The Government's medical tourism task force is spread across three agencies - trade, tourism and health. And its website wasn't working when Radio Australia tried to check out what was on offer. Tom Griffith of Formosa Medical Travel in Taipei, says a lack of marketing is holding the industry back.
GRIFFITH: The problem with medical tourism in Taiwan is that it's a great product with a marketing issue. There's not enough money being pumped in from the government, there's a lot of laws that overlap and cause problems. There's no resources out there for companies like ours that want to bring additional income into the country.
WANG: Amy Liou, manager of the Taiwan Trade Centre in Sydney admits some changes are needed.
LIOU: We need to catch up. That means we should put more effort on marketing because we are good but no one knows us.
