In a list of the best private hospitals and clinics in Latin America published by newspaper America Economia, Colombia has rated highly with four out of the top ten best hospitals in 2013.
Colombian export and foreign business department Proexport released the figures this week, in a hope to attract health tourists to Colombia to take advantage of its comparatively affordable and high quality healthcare services available.
After analysing 190 hospitals and clinics in 12 Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela) the economics magazine compiled the 45 best facilities, based on patient safety and dignity, staffing levels and quality, overall management and the prestige of the institution.
Fundacion Valle de Lili in Cali rated highest at number four, followed by Fundacion Cardioinfantil in Bogota (number 6), Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia in Bucaramanga (number 8) and Hospital Pablo Tobon Uribe in Medellin (number 10).
In total 20 hospitals in Colombia were featured in the top 45, mostly situated in Bogota, Medellin, Bucaramanga and Cali.
The high ratings see a continued improvement on the 2012 figures, where 16 Colombian hospitals featured on the same list.
Colombia has made a name for itself with foreign medical tourists in the world of plastic surgery and dental care, and with such favourable results will hope to see a high tide of foreigners visiting Colombian shores to pay for medical procedures.
Maria Claudia Lacouture, president of Proexport Colombia said in a press release on October 12:
“It is important that not only the infrastructure of hospitals and clinics is highlighted but also the specialized services and quality that Colombia is offering, as well as the professionalism of medical staff. All of these factors are making the country an ideal destination for international patients “.
Recent years have seen a boom in medical tourism in Colombia which have been related to the positive change in the global image of Colombia, the rising cost of healthcare in other countries abroad, and the affordable high quality services available in Colombia´s main cities.
According to Colombian government statistics, Colombia went from receiving 14,000 international patients in 2010 to 49,000 in 2013. In the first six months of 2014 the number reached 47,000.
While most health tourists have traditionally visited Colombia for aesthetic surgeries such as plastic surgery or dental care, Proexport is advertising the high level cardiovascular and specialist facilities which feature in the top ten list, as a means of attracting health tourists to trust more serious operations on Colombian professionals.
MORE: Medical tourism brought $215M and 50K patients to Colombia in 2013
“In addition to improvements in service and infrastructure, Colombia has seen an improvement in its intermediate cities, not just the main centres of Bogota and Medellin. All this is facilitating growth in the arrival of foreign patients , especially from the United States, Central and Caribbean islands , where more expansion opportunities have been identified , ” said Lacouture .
Sources
- Especial Hospitales y clinicas (America Economia)
- 16 clínicas colombianas entre las 40 mejores de America Latina (Proexport)
- Colombia lidera el ranking latinoamericano de las mejores clínicas y hospitales(Proexport)
