Medical Group - Conferences – Press release
Press release
Press release
Zagreb, the 9 April 2009
1st Medical Tourism Conference in Vodice, 26 to 28 April 2009
MEDICAL TOURISM – CHANCE FOR CROATIAN MEDICINE AND TOURISM!
On the development of this industry in particular do not only work Asian countries such as India, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia
and the Philippines, which according to estimates in 2007 achieved revenue in the amount of 3,4 billion dollars and hold 12,7% of
the world market, but also our neighboring Hungary, where the prices are lower for 40 to 50% than in the West, and for example,
Poland, Belgium, Switzerland and Spain.
"By comparison with its many current and potential competitors, Croatia has at its disposal some unquestionable advantages, such as
top medical human resources and touristic attractiveness of the coastline," emphasized Mr. Miljenko Bura, Ph.D. whilst announcing
the 1st Medical Tourism Conference in Croatia, taking place from 26 to 28 April 2009 at the Olympia Hotel in Vodice.
The Chair of the Conference Expert Committee, Mr Mato Bartoluci, Ph.D., said that the objective of the conference is to present the
overall potential of Croatian medical tourism, as well as methods and paths for its implementation into the current, but also new
domestic medical and tourist capacities by connecting the medical services providers with international insurance companies and agencies
for medical tourism. This should be presented within two thematic parts by ten eminent speakers from Croatia and five international speakers.
Unyielding world market demand growth of 20 to 25% for these services is expected due to increase in medical care expenses in the
developed countries and long surgery waiting lists, decrease in care standards due to reductions in staff and increased pressures on
current healthcare systems due to population aging. At the same time, globalization and the increase in communication technologies'
level accelerate the almost exponential growth of this new sector, since the potential users of these services are able to obtain,
within moments, almost all relevant information on the services of medical tourism, consulting directly with the physicians
and experts even outside of their countries of residence, via video conferences and contemporary media, especially the Internet.
The significant development of medical tourism is not possible without longer-term and target-oriented support of relevant institutions
such as the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Tourism of Croatia, whose involvement is needed to remove a number of regulatory barriers
on one side and a facilitation of entry in investment of this kind to the entrepreneurs on the other. Namely, it is considered that we are
concerning the support of appropriate state institutions still insufficient market and business elastic and that there is a space for
improvement.
Initial concrete steps in this area are being taken not only at congress and educational level, but also at the infrastructural level,
as is the case, for example, with launching of the showcase project of the Medical Tourism Centre in Vodice by
Medicinska grupa d.o.o./Medical Group Ltd./. This is a multi-functional facility that through merging of hospitality and tourist services
on one side and high-category medical facility on the other, follows the top modern global trends in tourist and medical services.
The Centre's medical services range from the most modern radiology and endoscopic diagnostics, internal medicine, surgical interventions
of daily surgery, up to more demanding surgical interventions requiring longer treatment and rehabilitation. In dental medicine area,
it includes all services of a modern dental medicine centre with laboratories following the newest trends and technologies.
It is evaluated that this showcase project will directly contribute to enriching quality of Croatian tourist product and a whole year business
of tourist capacity in Vodice and wider, and raising standards of health services and health care for not only tourists but also the local
population.
Faster and more intensive development of medical tourism, which will show the 1st Medical Tourism Conference opens space in the end to
increase the whole year use of the tourist receptive capacities and greater overall tourism income on certain areas in Croatia.
Contact for more informations
dr.sc. Miljenko Bura, Ph.D.
mob: + 385 (0)98 288 891
e-mail: miljenko.bura@zg.t-com.hr
Goran Nedoklan
mob: + 385 (0)91 444 93 11
e-mail: matell-dental-centar@si.t-com.hr