Jamaica going for piece of medical tourism market

BY INGRID BROWN Senior staff reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com

Thursday, May 19, 2011

JAMAICA is moving to develop a road map to define the country's priorities as it seeks to enter the multibillion-dollar global medical tourism market. A diagnostic report, prepared by CTA Economic an Export Analyst Ltd of the United Kingdom and presented Tuesday at a health and wellness tourism stakeholder workshop at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston, noted that Jamaica needs to attract more foreign investment to develop new facilities, specifically to meet the needs of medical tourists.

The report said facilities in both the Jamaican private and public health care sectors are insufficient to attract medical tourists, but said an investor — Hospiten Group — is considering building a new purpose built 20o-bed hospital in Montego Bay, St James. This hospital, according to the report, would provide facilities for Jamaican private clients, tourists in Jamaica and overseas medical tourists.

"This would involve an initial investment of US$20 million and employ an additional 30 Jamaican medical staff," the report noted.

According to the report, the first step in developing this mainstream medical tourism would be to agree on a clear government policy which would, among other things, clarify and define roles and responsibilities for ministries and agencies involved, provide review of incentives for investments in medical tourism facilities and review legislation regarding medical liability insurance.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Reginald Budhan said it is hoped that Cabinet can be convinced to make the necessary policy realignment to move this step forward.

"We believe Jamaica can accrue significant benefit from the development of this sector," Budhan said as he addressed participants at the workshop.

Given the demand for Jamaican nurses and doctors abroad, Budhan said Jamaica has a competitive advantage in health and wellness.

"If you are not critically ill, it must be a good thing to be able to go to a place for treatment where you can have a vacation at the same time," he said.

He added that Jamaica's proximity to the large US market with its ageing population and high cost of medical care, as well as its established tourism product with excellent hotel and tourism services and low labour cost, positions it to take advantage of medical tourism.

"The report has indicated that for one sub-sector within the health and wellness industry mainstream medical tourism can generate as much as $200 million over four years from one investment in a 20-bed hospital," he said.

"...Medical tourists have been noted to spend as much as US$5,000 a week for a thermal spa facility; this is the highest value segment of the market and Jamaica intends to capitalise on the ensuing benefit," he said.

According to Budhan, much work is to be undertaken in order to package Jamaica's offering for investment and to promote local product. JAMPRO, he said, will be leading the charge with the ministries of tourism and health to develop the sector.

Dr Dana Morris Dixon, vice-president of planning and corporate development at JAMPRO, explained that in 2009 the medical tourism sector was identified as a key area of importance for the Government and as such a task force was established to develop a road map for the development of the sector.

She explained that with the natural export strategy of JAMPRO aimed at diversifying the country's export product and market, the health and wellness sector has the potential to be one of those new export sectors that can spur employment and investment in Jamaica.

Meanwhile, JAMPRO President Sancia Templer said the organisation has done a lot in recent years for the investment and facilitation of tourism investment and the health and wellness sector is one with vast opportunities for Jamaica.

"The value of tourism in the medical tourism sector exceeds US$40 billion; there is much debate about the reality of these figures but even if it's $35 billion, $25 billion or $20 billion, it is a significant industry and Jamaica just wants a small piece of that," she said.

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Jamaica going for piece of medical tourism market