MEDICAL TRIPS TO TURKEY

Medical tourism, also known as medical travel, means traveling to foreign countries for medical services.

Such trips are often combined with holidays. The idea of ​​medical tourism is not new: as early as the 4th century BC, Epidaurus was a cult and healing center for people who traveled to Anatolia from all over the Mediterranean region to be cured of various illnesses.

For several decades, treatments at the Dead Sea have been recognized as effective treatments for skin diseases such as neurodermatitis or psoriasis.

Why travel far afield?

There are many reasons for medical tourism: avoiding long waiting times for operations as in England, insufficient insurance coverage as in the USA, but also anonymity or a pleasant climate (temperature, surroundings, staff).

Currently, Swiss people primarily travel abroad for dental or cosmetic surgery procedures, but also for ophthalmic treatments (laser surgery), especially to Istanbul, Turkey.

These are services not covered by health insurance in Switzerland, so price is the primary factor. Treatment costs abroad are often significantly lower than the rates charged by Swiss doctors and clinics.

Here you can read a report (in English) about health tourism in Turkey. You can also find this article about dental tourism on Wikipedia.

Did you know that Istanbul was the European Capital of Culture in 2010? You can find more information here.