SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS April 2007 Michael Estwanik found himself suddenly hospitalized with diverticulitis in Monaco's Princess Grace Hospital Centre when he should have been attending meetings for MPI and the Monaco Government Tourism Bureau Advisory Board. Fortunately for Estwanik, a senior account executive with Maritz Travel, Monaco offers first-class medical care, and his room during his seven-day hospital stay came complete with a balcony overlooking the palace and the Mediterranean.
Few would be surprised that Monaco, a top-notch destination, has a hospital to match. But many unexpected locales are stepping up their medical facilities-in some cases as a direct result of the increase in medical tourism. While a facility that specializes in elective surgeries is best for a traveler who intends to visit a hospital, many of these facilities also offer excellent emergency care for attendees who fall ill or injure themselves while traveling.
According to MH Ross Travel Insurance Services, cities with medical centers of excellence include London, Dubai, Rome, and Paris. Less well known, but also excellent, are Santiago, Chile; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Seoul, South Korea.
Travel expert Laura McKenzie names Switzerland as one of the best because, in addition to being a relatively safe country with excellent medical care, the country has an advanced program for victims of crime, under which they can receive compensation for medical expenses, psychological care, and lost wages.
Surprisingly, one of the leading hospitals in the world is the Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. At one million square feet, Bumrungrad is the largest private hospital in Southeast Asia. It adheres to U.S. standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association, and it is the first Asian hospital to be accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which evaluates medical facilities worldwide. In October 2006, Bumrungrad was named one of the "10 World Leaders" in medical care by Newsweek, citing reasonable prices, excellent care, and attentive staff.
According to Fred DeMicco, professor for the University of Delaware's department of hotel, restaurant and institutional management and co-author of Hospitality 2010: The Future of Hospitality and Travel (Prentice Hall, 2005), "Medical technology has improved vastly in developing nations like India and South Africa. There has been a huge uptrend in international travel, which has had a catalytic effect on medical tourism." In addition to noting Thailand's excellent care, DeMicco references Singapore, based on its renowned Center for Transfusion Medicine, which is a World Health Organization Collaborating Center, and the country's Health Sciences Authority that regulates the quality of devices, medicines, radiation equipment, and blood supply.
Both attendees and planners should be aware that while excellent care may be readily available internationally, insurance entanglements can pose problems. It is important to consult insurance providers prior to travel to determine what coverage is available at international health care facilities.
An increasingly popular option is travel insurance, which covers travel catastrophes from lost baggage to airlifting patients. "Meeting planners do not understand or press the issue of purchasing travel insurance," says Lourdes del Rio-Valdes, spokesperson for MH Ross Travel Insurance Services. "Many people are under the impression that you are covered by your company, when in fact you are not. The reality is that if you are traveling, especially out of the country for conferences or incentive travel, you run the risk of getting sick or injured."
Estwanik, for example, had to play intermediary between his insurance provider and the hospital. "The hospital administrator's office explained the room was 675 euros (approximately $900) per night, all inclusive. 'Good,' I thought, 'No resort fee,' " quips Estwanik, who was ultimately "forced to make several trips through the lobby to the administration office in my robe and IV rolling cart. . . It would have been challenging even had I been feeling perfectly well."
But in addition to breathtaking views, the care he received on site dissolved a potentially nightmarish situation into an entertaining story about a lot of paperwork and an unexpected site visit. "I was fortunate that, if a health challenge had to happen away from home, I was in this more-than-civilized place," Estwanik says. "The week's diet of IVs and applesauce did help me shed those last five pounds, though I would not recommend what I will forever refer to as 'The Monaco Diet.' I have, however, developed an even deeper affection for this beautiful little place."