Medical tourism is a form of health tourism that is usually used to describe the act of going to another country for medical care that can be provided there, but not in the country of residence. There are many different reasons why someone may want to travel to another country for medical care, but it comes with several risks for the patient.

For some individuals price, waiting period, and availability are the reasons that medical tourism seems so appealing. Whatever the reason, however, many people may not realize that receiving medical care in a foreign country may not be the safest thing to do. For example, when you are treated by any hospital, you are already risking certain diseases, parasites, deep vein thrombosis, tuberculosis, amoebic dysentery, paratyphoid and poor post-operative care. These risks increase when you are being treated outside of the United States.

In fact, one risk that can actually prove fatal is that by being treated in another country you could get an infection such as gangrene and necrosis. Both of these infections could require the damaged tissue to be removed and there’s the possible need for limb amputation. If the infection is deep inside the body and does not get caught in time it could lead to other health issues or even death. To put it mildly, medical tourism could kill you or at the very least make whatever ailment you were having treated worse.

What’s more, if the operation is done in another country it would be very difficult to get medications or proper post-operative care if something were to go wrong after returning to your home country.

Even when a medical procedure is much less expensive in another country you must be aware of the risks you are taking by choosing to go elsewhere to have your body worked on. It’s sad, but true, that many countries don’t have the same safety and health requirements that we do here in the United States and you have to ask yourself if gambling with your life is worth the potential savings.

Jody’s Travel Inc

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