Dubai’s hospitals seek to stem haemorrhage of medical tourists

 19-Apr-17, The National

Hospitals in Dubai are seeking help from external agencies such as medical tourism facilitators and international health agencies to bring more medical tourism business into the emirate as the strong dirham deters overseas patients.

Image: AACSH

The number of British medical tourists fell by about 10 per cent at the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital (AACSH), an effect of the weakened pound following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. The pound has lost more than 16 per cent of its value against the US-dollar pegged dirham, making cosmetic medical procedures such as liposuction and body reconstruction more expensive in the UAE.

In 2015, Dubai recorded 630,000 medical tourists from outside the emirate, of which 47 per cent were from overseas and the rest from other emirates. By 2020, Dubai expects 500,000 patients from outside the country.

 Read the full article  

 Insights