“Bermuda Should Explore Medical Tourism”
Medical Tourism worldwide generated approximately 50 billion dollars in revenue and this is “clearly an industry that Bermuda should explore,” Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell said today [Nov 22] in the House of Assembly.
The Minister was speaking after his trip to the World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress in Las Vegas earlier this month.
He was accompanied by the Minister of Health Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, and said that to his knowledge, this was the first time that a Bermuda Tourism Minister has attended this Congress.
There were 2,100 delegates in attendance, representing countries from all around the world, including the Turks & Caicos Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados and Belize just to name a few.
Medical tourism involves people who travel to a different place to receive treatment for a disease, ailment or condition, and this category also includes cross-border travel by persons seeking cosmetic enhancements.
The Minister said that in 2011, Medical Tourism worldwide generated approximately 50 billion dollars in revenue and Wellness Tourism generated approximately 106 billion dollars in revenue.
Minister Crockwell said, “This is clearly an industry that Bermuda should explore and the Government is looking into various niche models which can set us apart from the competition.
“There is currently an exciting proposal on the table, which I am not at liberty at this stage to enlarge upon, but which has great potential for developing this industry here in Bermuda.
“Bermuda certainly has its own challenges with the cost of health-care, but there are opportunities to create a niche service which combines medical procedures within a relaxing resort environment,” continued the Minister.
“Nine percent of medical tourists spend time relaxing in the destination after their procedure. In Barbados, there are hospital resorts wherein patients receive medical treatment on one part of the facility and then move to the resort-like part for convalescence.
“Bermuda is certainly a destination that is ideal for tourists seeking wellness who wish to combine relaxation, sport, health, good food and contact with the environment.
“Medical and Wellness travel have historically not been areas focused on for Bermuda tourism. Combined, these industries generate more than one hundred and fifty billion dollars a year in revenues.
“This Congress was very useful to my understanding of these growing industries and it is my intention to share what I have learned with the Bermuda Tourism Authority, with a view to develop a strategy so that we as a destination can benefit from this lucrative trend going forward,” said the Minister.
Minister Shawn Crockwell’s full statement follows below:
Mr Speaker
I rise to report on the 6th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress and the 4th Global Ministerial Summit held at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Nevada between November 2nd and November 6th of this year.
There were 2,100 delegates in attendance, representing countries from all around the world, including our neighbors to the South such as the Turks & Caicos Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados and Belize just to name a few.
To my knowledge, this was the first time that a Minister of Tourism, from Bermuda, attended this Congress and I was accompanied by the Minister of Health and Seniors, the Hon. Patricia Gordon-Pamplin.
The Congress provided over 80 informative sessions, which covered topics dealing with Medical and Wellness Tourism,as well as an array of Healthcare topics. In fact, the sessions were divided into either tourism related matters or healthcare related matters, and I naturally attended those sessions with a tourism focus, whilst Minister Gordon-Pamplin attended those sessions with a healthcare focus.
Minister Gordon-Pamplin presented during the session entitled International Health Improvement Strategy – Foreign Minister’s Perspective on Improving Corporate Health, and acquittedherself extremely well.
Mr. Speaker,
This was a well-organized and well executed Congress. The speakers who presented during the sessions, were highly qualified and experienced professionals in their chosen fields.
I had the privilege of meeting the President of the Medical Tourism Association, Mrs. Renee-Marie Stephano and network with other Tourism Ministers, and numerous leaders and tourism professionals. I was immensely impressed with the over-all quality of the Congress.
Mr. Speaker
The medical and healthcare travel industry is a rapidly growing industry which is attracting the attention of public and private investors to this sector. Healthcare travel has existed throughout history.
It is communication, technology, research & development, treatment methods, travel and mobility, which have significantly progressed in the past decades and have made global exchange possible. People will continue travelling in search of reliable, unique and affordable treatments, some of which are also combined with vacation and leisure.
Medical tourism involves people who travel to a different place to receive treatment for a disease, ailment or condition, and who are seeking lower cost of care, higher quality of care, better access to care or different care than what they could receive at home.
This category also includes cross-border travel by persons seeking cosmetic enhancements. It involves conventional medical approaches, performed by licensed medical professionals at medical facilities to solve problems. The consumer is either ill or seeking cosmetic and/or dental surgical procedures or enhancements.
Wellness tourism involves people who travel to a different place to proactively pursue activities that maintain or enhance their personal health and wellbeing, and who are seeking unique, authentic or location-based therapies not available at home. These experiences may, but typically do not involve, medical doctors and facilities. The consumer is seeking integrated wellness and prevention approaches to improve their health and quality of life.
Mr. Speaker,
In 2011, Medical Tourism worldwide generated approximately fifty (50) billion dollars in revenue and Wellness Tourism generated approximately one hundred and six (106) billion dollars in revenue. The average medical tourist spent around ten (10) thousand dollars and often had family members accompany them who spent approximately three (3) thousand dollars.
This is clearly an industry that Bermuda should explore and the Government is looking into various niche models which can set us apart from the competition. There is currently an exciting proposal on the table, which I am not at liberty at this stage to enlarge upon, but which has great potential for developing this industry here in Bermuda.
Mr. Speaker,
There are numerous factors which contribute to a traveller’s selection of a destination for Medical and Wellness services. They are (i) the popularity of a destination, (ii) accessibility, (iii) available technology, (iv) quality of care, (v) quality of facilities, (vi) personalized care and (vii) privacy.
Certain countries experience specific challenges in the provision of healthcare which drives this industry.
For example, Canada has long waiting times for medical treatment; the United States has very high health care costs; Africa has a lack of appropriate healthcare services; Russia has a fragmented healthcare system and Europe has a complicated cross-border healthcare system.
Bermuda certainly has its own challenges with the cost of health-care, but there are opportunities to create a niche service which combines medical procedures within a relaxing resort environment.
Nine percent of medical tourists spend time relaxing in the destination after their procedure. In Barbados, there are hospital resorts wherein patients receive medical treatment on one part of the facility and then move to the resort-like part for convalescence.
Bermuda is certainly a destination that is ideal for tourists seeking wellness who wish to combine relaxation, sport, health, good food and contact with the environment.
Wellness tourism is the new and trendy way to vacation as tourists are focusing more on their health and looking for different ways to be rejuvenated and revitalized.
Mr. Speaker,
Medical and Wellness travel have historically not been areas focused on for Bermuda tourism. Combined, these industries generate more than one hundred and fifty billion dollars a year in revenues.
I believe that it is important for Bermuda to explore different opportunities to diversify our tourism product.
This Congress was very useful to my understanding of these growing industries and it is my intention to share what I have learned with the Bermuda Tourism Authority, with a view to develop a strategy so that we as a destination can benefit from this lucrative trend going forward.
Thank you Mr Speaker!
-
Now ain’t that some s***. When Dr. Brown and the PLP bought up the same topic, many persons in the community turned their noses up to the idea.
I guess coming from the other side of the floor, makes all the difference in the world.
The more things change, the more they stay the same….
The hospital might be cheap, but the hotels, flights etc? Not going to work.
Agreed. It won’t work unless it offers something unavailable elsewhere. The only things that fit that bill are procedures which are unregulated here and regulated elsewhere. See below.
I thought the prior suggestion was Stem Cell related (highly controversial).
It was stem cell related. The idea was that the Brown-Darrel clinic would provide treatments that were not approved in the US. The fact that Bermuda had no regulations concerning the treatments in question was a “plus”.
It was floated by the doc because there was money in it for him – imagine that. Unproven treatments focusing on the desperate – imagine that.
So I take it you like the idea then? Since Ewart brought it up ten years ago?
You have to address the possibility that this IS Dr. Brown’s idea, being presented by Mr. Crockwell. Who’s to say Dr. Brown still doesn’t have cards in play here? Would it surprise anyone to find that out?
I am 150% supportive of this initiative for Bermuda. As a Bermudian who has worked for a leading pharmaceutical company as Director of Marketing I can see the enormous potential for market expansion for Bermuda tourism.
I URGE you not to ignore this opportunity.I would be even willing to offer my experience in discussions on the subject. Go Bermuda GO!!
Bermuda Boob Jobs are the best in de world !
Dreamer.
Bermuda Medical Marijuana..
We can’t even give our own people proper care
Is he realllly suggesting that we use Bermuda health care as a tourism attraction?
[face palm + slow sigh]
And Bermuda FOLLOWS yet again, keep dreaming Shawn. I’m with “we all we got”.
Isn’t that the whole purpose of the new hospital wing ?
To be a healthcare tourism destination we would have to have exceptional healthcare in Bermuda. We don’t. Why do you think everyone gets flown away when they get seriously sick. This is a ridiculous notion and a waste of time and taxpayer’s dollars.
High end cosmetic surgery centers and rehab resorts is what comes to mind for me.
Has the OBA hired DR Done Deal as a consultant?
Funny, but Dr. Brown’s apologists (the Trump family for instance)have not come on here to blast this statement from the Minister. What could be the reason for that? Also, there was little opposition expressed in the House at the announcement. The opposition really only questioned Mr. Crockwell’s travel. I find that very telling. I think much can be learned by watching where the PLP supporters choose to spend their energy, and which moves by the Government they choose to ignore.
Oh verbal…please! The Opp leader spoke about it and questioned why minister crockwell did not give credit for medical tourism and the cruise ship policy to dr brown and the PLP. Heard it myself via radio. I think you know this as well. Stop it, thank you.
You just proved my point. All is quiet until Dr. Brown gets mentioned. Your act is completely transparent. That’s all from me. Bye now.
Have they forgotten that most people ‘hate’ the care they receive at the hospital…Hence everyone flying off island for care….I surely know that when I have something that requires an expert I am on the next thing smoking, versus letting the hospital staff here diagnose me incorrectly etc..
I applaud the forward thinkoing but I don’t see it working here…
Wasting your time Mr. Crockwell. Bermuda is way too expensive and heavily unionized for Medical Tourism. If anyone tried to open a facility in Bermuda all the red tape and unions/PLP would chase them out of here in no time. Problem with Dr. B was, rightly so, nobody trusted him, not even his own PLP Parliamentary colleagues… Bermuda needs more unemployment, lower wage levels, lower property prices, weak or non-existant unions before this sort of thing might be accepted here..
What a great marketing pitch, “Come to Bermuda for 3rd world medical care at 5 star pricing”….oh it will at least be in a Taj Mahal of a new hospital wing.
The OBA Government and its Ministers need to share the lessons they have learned in these 11 months with their supporters. This announcement by Minister Crockwell is the latest in a slew of instances that demonstrate that the OBA in opposition was all about the politics of personal destruction, taking sensible issues and throwing around words like corruption and political interference at the drop of a hat. This medical tourism thing made sense when Dr. Brown said it and it makes sense now. The shame is that aided and abetted by the media, the OBA in opposition preferred to stick with their election winning strategy of denigrating the entire PLP as crooks and liars and by extension inflicting reputational damage on Bermuda. Now, after 11 months, the only thing they’ve found “under the hood” is just how damaging their tactics were and how much time they’ve had to spend convincing people that Bermuda isn’t what they said it was.
The focus of the exchanges regarding this statement by Minister Crockwell is on whether the initiative will work or not. Funny that, because when the PLP was in power, the focus would’ve been the fact that the conference was in Las Vegas, that two ministers attended and that it was held at Caesar’s Palace. Just so we’re clear, that’s not a sign of political growth or maturity, but a sign of duplicity. Imagine, if the focus had been so benign during Dr. Brown’s tenure, the tourism recovery would’ve been in hand, hotels would’ve been built, the tourism offices would’ve been restructured already and all the good ideas that died mired by petty politics based who was who and who was in charge would’ve had a chance to be tested. Now, what do we have? The OBA repackaging everything they and their rabid supporters denounced in opposition and now supporting it.
Imagine, in 14 days, the Lamb-Foggo clinic went from being a bad idea in the first place and an ego project of the PLP/Dr. Brown to yesterday being a necessary thing for the people of the east end which should never have been threatened with closure in the first place. Both positions from the same Government. You must get whiplash from turning about so quickly.
So, OBA, quell the thirst for vengeance in your ranks because in OBA-land today I’m sure there are some red meat eaters scratching their heads at how your agenda looks eerily similar to that of the group you deemed unfit to govern from the beginning.
O Happy Day.
Crockwell is an idiot, he has little on no idea what he is talking abut, this idea was hatched by Dr Evil and if you look and see who has the PPP for the 260 million WING at the hospital it’s public record that Paget services is running it, and who has the Paget services group…yup,! The rooms on that wing have already Been finished for the very propose of medical tourists, however just by spending a quarter of a billion on a new wing will not bring tourists here, everyone who lives here and is able to goes off of the island for medical care because of the low standard we have, Los the only people to benefit from this garbage are the investors, we constantly see the BHB begging for money but truth is the main area of the new wing is not for locals, Govenment needs to come clean on this whole fiasco as most of the money is being sent to Black and Macs overseas account , what was budgeted and how far over budget is it. And let’s take a wild guess here and assume this overseas company gets to build more wings, we end up with a billion dollar hospital and that’s just obscene
Medical use of herb is legal in 20 states and counting,to quote a recent news report “legalization is moving on greased tracks”,here it’s like molasses running uphill.No reason to take this seriously though since it could only create multiple jobs,producing an environmentally friendly,locally produced, renewable resource based industry that could benefit those left out of our other pillar and a half.
Oh, Pleeeze! Bermudians hightail it OUT of Bermuda, if they can, with a serious illness, and go to the States to be treated by REAL doctors! What are you people smoking? Or have you gotten that desperate? Get a good night’s sleep and go back to the drawing board!
It’s not possible. We can’t even provide decent medical care to our own citizens, it’s atrocious. It may sound harsh but it’s true.
This will create one of two things. It will either expose and share our roaring healthcare inadequacies with the world OR create a two tiered healthcare system where Bermudians will be on the bottom tier.
Sorry to be a downer, just calling it as it is.