Costa Rica Health News – Foreigners come to Costa Rica to enjoy discounted prices on a wide array of procedures such as dental work, orthopedics, weight loss surgery, and cosmetic operations, according to the Foreign Trade Promoter, Procomer.
Canada is one of the eight richest countries in the world, yet many Canadians have been making such trips, since they have wait lists of up to 35 weeks for specialized treatment in their country. Costa Rican specialists can do the first consultation and the procedure all in the same week, generally.
Canadians appreciate that the doctors are well trained and the costs are low. The patience shown to them by the doctors has also impressed them. A study by Health Care Consumers in Canada showed that 38% of the population would be open to going abroad for a medical intervention.
Costa Rica attracted 48,253 medical tourists in 2011 alone, generating $338 million. Most were visitors from the US and Canada. The most popular specialties sought were dentistry (42%), gynecology (22%), and plastic surgery (10%).
It’s predicted that this year Costa Rica will see 100,000 medical tourists, each with an average spending of $7,000.
