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31DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL TOURISM IN REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
Aiman Iskakova1, Bauyrzhan Jussipov2, Gaukhar Korabayeva2
Deputy General Director of the Republican Center for Health Development,
Astana, Kazakhstan 2Republican Center for Health Development, Center for improving medical care,
Astana, Kazakhstan
Abstract
This article is dedicated to the issue of development of medical tourism in Kazakhstan. The article describes a road map prepared by the Republican center for health development in order to realize a project for development of medical tourism in Kazakhstan. Creation of competitive field of healthcare integrated into the global market system of medical tourism will allow to achieve tasks in hand in this area.
Key words: Development of medical tourism, Kazakhstan.
Цазацстан Республикасында медициналыц туризмдi дамыту
А.К. Ыскакова1, Б.Э. ЖYсiпов2, Г.Т. Корабаева2
1Денсаулыц сацтауды дамыту республикалыц орталыгынын бас директорынын орынбасары,
Астана, Казацстан
2Медициналыц KBMeKmi жетiлдiру орталыгы, Денсаулыц сацтауды дамыту республикалыц орталыгы,
Астана, Казацстан
Тужырымдама
Бул мацала Казацстанда медициналыц туризмдi дамытудын езект1 мэселес1не арналган. Мацалада Денсаулыц сацтауды дамыту орталыгынын елiмiздегi медициналыц туризмдi дамыту жобасын жузеге асыруга багыттап цурастырган жол картасы сипатталады. Медициналыц туризмнiн галамдыц нарыцтыц жуйесне интеграцияланган денсаулыц сацтау саласын бэсекеге цабiлеттi болатындай етт дамыту аталмыш багытта цойылган мацсаттарды жузеге асырудын бiрден-бiр жолы болмац.
Kinmmi свздер: медициналыц-туризмдi дамыту.
Развитие медицинского туризма в Республике Казахстан
А.К. Искакова1, Б.А. Джусипов2, Г.Т. Корабаева2
Заместитель генерального директора Республиканского центра развития здравоохранения,
Астана, Казахстан
3Республиканский центр развития здравоохранения, Центр совершенствования медицинской помощи,
Астана, Казахстан
Резюме
Данная статья посвящена актуальной проблеме развития медицинского туризма в Казахстане. В статье описана дорожная карта, разработанная Республиканским центром развития здравоохранения, для реализации проекта по развитию медицинского туризма в стране. Создание конкурентоспособной отрасли здравоохранения, интегрированной в глобальную рыночную систему медицинского туризма, позволит достичь поставленных задач в данном направлении.
Ключевые слова: развитие медицинского туризма, Казахстан.
УДК 61:001.12.18
Recieved: 10-12-2017 Accepted: 18-01-2018
(Development of medical tourism in Republic ofKazakhstan)
Corresponding author: Gaukhar Korabayeva, Chief expert of the Center for improving medical care, Republican Center for Health Development. Postal code: 010000
Address: Mangilik El 8 Ave., Entrance 18B, Astana, Kazakhstan Phone: +7 775 562 78 88 E-mail: [email protected]
(Aiman Iskakova et al)
The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan now faces a challenge of creating a new model of economic development that will assure the country's global competitiveness. Five priority areas have been identified, one of which is «Accelerated technological modernization of the economy», relying on the development of areas such as healthcare and education. Within this priority area, the following six healthcare-related initiatives have been specified:
• Improvement of the healthcare sector's efficiency through the introduction of mandatory social health insurance;
• Market liberalization and reduction of barriers to private healthcare organizations;
• Attraction of investments and development of public-private partnerships;
• Creation of a unified healthcare information space;
• Development of the pharmaceutical market;
• Development of medical tourism.
For the purposes of implementation of these initiatives, the Ministry of Health has developed 10 sectoral projects, 9 of which are managed by the Republican Center for Health Development (RCHD).
The goal of the project of development of medical tourism is to create a competitive healthcare sector integrated into the global market system of medical tourism. In order to achieve best results the Government will develop competitive fields of medical tourism and promote Kazakhstan medical organizations. The initiative also includes the development of integrated service focusing on patients from the CIS and the Central Asia. But it concerns the patients not only from the CIS and the Central Asia the medical tourism will also attract patients from abroad. But firstly there should be potential growth of medical organizations and its services for realization this project.
For conformance with international standards the Government will involve global leading companies in the field of medical service provision for managing medical organizations. According to the very minimum standard each organization should have an integrated site and call - center so the project includes this issue into the step for developing.
The basic KPIs include the increase of a number of medical tourists and increase of revenue of medical organizations from medical tourists.
Neurosurgery s • Cardioiurgery J Orthopaedy V J & Transplantology \ J ® Cellular technology
Reproductive technologies Check up f® ^ Stomatology \s_^ # Ophthalmology i©l Health resort treatment L J
Figure 1 - Modern High Medical Technology of Kazakhstan
With the purpose of successful implementation of the project, RCHD has developed a roadmap containing short-term, medium-term and long-term activities. Following the implementation of the short-term activities, a marketing plan is being developed, including the assessment of potential demand for Kazakhstan's medical services, selection of Kazakhstan's competitive areas, a communication program and a plan for attracting patients from abroad. The medium-term activities will produce a Conceptual Framework including strategic aims and objectives, increase of the country's international profile by participating in international conferences and exhibitions related to medical tourism, creation of a unified web-portal and a contact center and networking with global companies and associations in the field of medical tourism. In the long-term, a brand of Kazakhstan's healthcare providers will be established, the development of the healthcare workforce will be focused on training in hospital services provision
and foreign language command among hospital personnel. Additionally, the recruitment of global leading companies for the purposes of managing medical organizations is planned.
The key challenges to the development of medical tourism in Kazakhstan include:
- Flawed legislation regulating the approaches to providing services to incoming medical tourists;
- Inadequate efforts of medical organizations to attract tourists;
- Lack of a systematic approach, planning and mechanisms of large-scale attraction of medical tourists;
- Lack of comprehensive record-keeping of medical tourists by authorized bodies;
- Lack of an accessible website and a call-center, the tools of regulating the streams of incoming medical tourists;
-Incomplete preparedness of medical organizations
for the provision of services to foreign tourists (lack of flexible pricing and service packages, inadequate level of services);
- Lack of recognizable brands of medical organizations.
To overcome these challenges will require some time and efforts. Firstly it needs elaboration of new legislation for the development of medical tourism and statistical record-keeping of medical tourists. As it was said before creation of a unified web-portal and call-center for the provision of medical information and consultations will help to improve the quality of services supply. The Government will introduce the practice of forming a comprehensive package of services in clinics, provision of services to patients and relatives in foreign languages, provision of further support for patients through telemedicine and online consultations. To conform to international standards there is need in collaboration with
global companies and associations in the field of medical tourism, participation in international conferences and exhibitions also can help to examine this area from outside. For international expansion PR campaigns and branding of Kazakhstan medical organizations are needed to be done.
Moreover, in accordance with the Tourism Industry Development Concept 2023: There is a work on increasing the number of direct flight services with other countries, including price optimization for flight tariffs, for the purposes of attraction of tourists. The visa polices for incoming tourists will be simplified to the greatest possible extent. The infrastructure and transport logistics is improving. Hospitality and catering services are being developed at the moment. Also there is a work on attracting investments with the framework of public-private partnerships for the construction of modern clinics. The neighboring countries (the CIS and Central Asia) are identified as the potential consumers of services.
Modern high me-dical technology and new facilities
Low cost of medical services
Quality standard* {national and international JCI accreditation)
Unique natural source« of heal ing
Advantageous geographies! position
Convenient transport Ogiititi
Kazakhstan is
a safe and peaceful
country
Tourist attrition
Figure 2 -Advantages of the Kazakhstan tourism
Thus, we are planning to increase the number of incoming medical tourists and, consequently, the revenue from them, by more than twice by 2020.
The key advantages of our clinics are:
• Access to modern medical technologies and new facilities;
• Low cost of medical services;
• Quality standards (national and international accreditation by JCI)
• Unique natural sources for rehabilitation;
• Advantageous geographic location;
• Convenient transport logistics;
• Safe and peaceful country;
• Tourist appeal.
Kazakhstan's clinics offer new technologies and new medical centers with modern equipment. Medical tourists from over 45 countries already currently visit the clinics of Kazakhstan. The number of tourists is still small, approximately 30 000 annually. The analysis of medical
tourism data in Kazakhstan has shown that the tourists primarily target the services of cardiac surgery, prosthetic surgery, neurosurgery, IVF, dental services and health-resort treatment.
Table 1 - The cost of certain types of medical services
Procedure Price Comparison of Select Procedures in US$
Kazakhstan Thailand India Singapore USA
Heart Bypass Surgery 1,645 11,000
Heart Valve Replacement 4,560 10,000
1,125 13,000
Angioplasty
Hip 2,240 12,000 Replacement
Knee 2,275 10,000 Replacement
Spinal 220 7,000 Fusion
570 4,500
Hysterectomy
Even today, Kazakhstan has medical centers able to compete on the international market of medical services. These centers include new healthcare facilities such as the National Research Center for Cardiac Surgery, National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health, National Research Center for Neurosurgery and others. These organizations are represented by world-class specialists; the doctors have received training in world's best clinics; the resources of these centers allow for a comprehensive coverage of medical services. For instance, this year, the first artificial heart implant was performed at the National Research Center for Cardiac Surgery. This implant was performed by a team led by Yuri Pya, a cardiac surgeon and the head of the center, who was chosen as the President of the World Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons for 2017-2018. Thanks to the professionals of this center, Kazakhstan is one the 22 countries performing unique high-tech open heart operations.
The National Research Center for Neurosurgery
10,000 18,500 130,000
9,000 12,500 160,000
11,000 13,000 57,000
9,000 12,000 43,000
8,500 13,000 40,000
5,500 9,000 62,000
3,000 6,000 20,000
has established a Functional Neurosurgery Unit, the first of its kind in all of Central Asia.
The medicine in Kazakhstan offers accessibility of high-tech medical services. The quality of medical services worldwide has become more or less similar and pricing has become the main difference. Thus, Kazakhstan has an advantage by being able to provide comparable medical services at lower prices. An analysis of pricing of 7 surgical services by international experts revealed that the prices were lower than those in India, which is recognized as a leader in low pricing in medical tourism. However, it should be noted that the prices considered are only for the medical services, since there are no official packages of services for medical tourists.
Tourism in Kazakhstan in 2023 will be a cluster model of the development of tourism with the conceptual elements such as: Astana - the center of Eurasia, Almaty -the cultural zone of Kazakhstan, The revival of the Great Silk Way and etc.
