Medical tourism is simply the practice of going to another country to obtain medical services. This practice allows the patient to receive top quality medical services in a country of choice.

Traveling abroad for medical services is a new concept to many of us, yet the elite have been traveling to foreign countries for years. Medical tourism is not just for the rich and famous anymore, and Switzerland is not the only destination. About ten years ago, countries in Asia realized that the opportunity exists to fill the unmet needs of millions worldwide. Top quality medical care is available, at a fraction of the price, in a plethora of countries across the world. India and Thailand are currently competing as the forerunners in the medical tourism industry; however they are not the only destination options. Countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Poland and others are offering world class services at third world prices!

There are still many skeptics that wonder if it is same to consider medical services in a foreign country. There is expressed concern of safety, the knowledge and skill of the staff, and the quality of services that are offered. If a person would travel thousands of miles to vacation, why not travel that far to have a medical procedure done? If a person is willing to risk having a foreign doctor perform the procedure in the developed country (E.G. a cardiologist from India, working in Chicago) why does that person not trust going to the same caliber cardiologist in the country of India itself? If a person is willing to fully research the hospitals and credentials in their homeland, why not check the ones abroad and save money by choosing a facility abroad?

Because of the decreased costs and ready access of air travel, medical tourism is a viable option for ALL people now! A person can obtain timely and quality medical services in a vacation paradise, for a fraction of the cost of the same medical procedure in the home country.

How does a person begin the task of choosing a country to consider traveling to as a medical tourist? It is advisable to begin by researching which countries offer medical tourism services and which are safe to travel to. There are medical tourism travel agents that can aid you with your research, as well as well researched books that will give you the guidance that you need.

Regardless of the country that you choose to receive services in, including your homeland, you will need to search out and choose a facility and doctors that you are confident in. It is true that all countries have good facilities and bad, all countries have highly skilled doctors as well as those who are poorly trained and running less than desirable operations. Again, the information is already researched for you, and you would be wise to access those resources.

All that is left for you to decide is which continent you want to go to, and which country in that continent you have always wanted to visit. Once you have decided that, you will need to think about particular parts of the country you desire to see while there. The process that you need to use in determining the country of choice is similar to if you were planning a vacation. As stated earlier, medical tourism is simply the practice of combining vacation and medical procedures. Where is it that you have always wanted to visit? There are several medical travel agencies available that offer a full menu of choices of destinations, and procedures offered in each!

India has a mission of becoming the leading medical tourism country in the world. There are multitudes of hospitals, located all over the country, that are top quality and accredited by the international organizations. Their doctors are often U.S., Canadian or U.K trained and they are fluent in English. Their intent is to cater to tourists from the U.S., Canada, the U.K and Australia; in particular. If a prospective medical tourist has always desired to see the Taj Mahal, then Arga would become the destination of choice. Kerala is another choice destination, with the Western Ghats towering 500-2700m to the east and is the meeting of forty four rivers. If it is the hustle and bustle of the Indian city that a person wants, then New Delhi or dozens of others might be a better choice.

Although India has been highlighted, the other choices are equally as beautiful. The destination is really a matter of deciding where it is that you have always longed to visit, and then combining that with your vacation, to create a "health holiday". Thailand offers some of the most pristine beaches in the world. Brazil offers rain forests, Costa Rica offers jungles and beaches both, France offers beautiful countryside and the glitter of Paris, Italy offers romantic villas, and Switzerland (of course) offers the Swiss Alps! There are many more, unnamed that are options that a qualified medical travel agent can assist you with searching out.