From preventative care to rehabilitation or treatment for acute cases, Germany offers around 2,000 hospitals using the latest technologies, ensuring transparent quality and hiring the best, most highly trained doctors. Swift diagnosis and intense collaboration between different medical fields enable German doctors to offer holistic treatment approaches and new cures at the cutting edge of research.
Around thirty of the country's hospitals, most of which are university hospitals, are known for their supramaximal level of care, with a wide range of medical technology and specialisations. In addition to high-tech medicine, Germany has an excellent infrastructure for preventative care, rehabilitation and the treatment of chronic diseases, making it a natural choice for medical travel.
We spoke to Sigrid de Mazieres, director, German National Tourist Office, Gulf countries, for more.
How many Arab tourists visited medical facilities in Germany last year and is the number expected to grow?
Germany’s healthcare system is among the best in the world, and hospitals and clinics throughout the entire country offer high quality standards and excellent value for money. So it is no surprise, that patients from the Gulf countries have a long tradition of seeking health treatment in Germany – with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE being the largest source markets.
As a result of this strong relationship between Germany and the GCC Countries, the German healthcare infrastructure is well-equipped to accommodate the needs and requirements of the Gulf Clientele offering not only highly advanced medical treatment, but also comprehensive medical-related services for the patient and the accompanying family members.
Though medical tourism is important for the local industry, it is hard to source reliable data and even harder to drill down the numbers according to countries. Estimates based on a survey of the University Bonn-Rhein-Sieg stated that 253,000 international patients from 181 countries underwent medical treatment in 2016 in German clinics, and it can be estimated that around 50 per cent travelled intentionally to seek medical treatment.
Looking at the numbers, the medical tourism market may appear small, but it is a very lucrative segment, bearing in mind that patients tend to stay longer periods and are often accompanied by several family members, which results in a positive impact on the local tourism industry and economy in general as visitors will not just stay in hotels, and go shopping but also take advantage of recreational activities or even purchase own properties.
How popular is Germany for medical tourists?
The German health system offers a level of infrastructure far above the average. It is in easier reach than, for example, the US, also more affordable and with its high-quality hospitals and professional medical care it matches the expectations of Arab travellers. Studies show that Germany ranks on top five position as per its medical tourism value generated, and great investments are being undertaken to further attract overseas patients. As per the start of the year hospitals and clinics took a positive outlook on medical tourism numbers, and we will continue to further review this particular area.
What are the most popular destinations for medical tourism within the country?
Southern Germany, and particularly Munich has traditionally been the hot spot for most GCC travellers, but it is important to highlight that Germany offers a wide network of professional hospitals and clinics throughout the entire country.
Munich is home to hundreds of clinics, specialists and hospitals treating the full spectrum of medical conditions and the beautiful city and great natural landscapes of Bavaria or also Baden-Wuerttemberg make Germany a great destination not just to undergo medical treatment, but also to recover and seek rehabilitation programmes.
Also the region Berlin-Brandenburg offers over 130 hospitals, including the world renowned Charité, Europe´s largest university clinic, which is at the forefront of cardiac surgery and many other specialties.
Traditionally, also Bonn, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne and Frankfurt have been popular medical tourism destinations, due to their well-established medical infrastructure, their accessibility and great touristic portfolio.
It goes without saying that hospitals should be selected based on one’s condition and the best suitable treatment, but for minor medical procedures the leisure aspect of a destination is certainly a decisive factor, when choosing where to go for a medical trip.
