Turkey can generate $ 3 billion income from health tourism
According to TURKSTAT data, 662 thousand 87 ‘health tourists’ arrived in Turkey, in 2019. A revenue of 1 billion 65 million 105 thousand dollars were obtained from these visitors.
Due to the pandemic in 2020, the number of people coming for health tourism had dropped significantly. 388 thousand 150 patients had preferred Turkey, dropping the revenue to 548 million 882 thousand dollars. In 2021, 642 thousand 444 people received medical services, leaving 1 billion 48 million 549 thousand dollars.
In the first quarter of 2022 however, 284,577 people came to have health care services and 332 million 212 thousand dollars of income was generated.
Most preferred clinical branches by foreign patients were gynaecological diseases and birth, internal diseases, eye diseases, medical microbiology, general surgery, dentistry, orthopedics and traumatology, infectious diseases, and Ear-Nose-Throat.
A professional argues that the TURKSTAT data on medical tourism are absolutely not accurate: “The state is not aware of the potential of medical tourism in Turkey. With these unhealthy data, the potential of health tourism is underestimated and shown to be insufficient. If we look at TURKSTAT, a total of 642 thousand 444 health tourists arrived last year. However, the number of people who even come for a hair implantation alone is much higher, about 750 thousand. According to our estimates, in 2021, about twice the number shared by TURKSTAT, that is, about one million 268 thousand health tourists arrived.”
“We can generate revenues of US$ 3 billion pounds”
“Even hair transplantation tourists leave at least 3 thousand dollars alone. According to the type of treatment, patients pay monies at rates ranging from $ 7,500 to $ 100,000 (for organ transplants, cancer treatments). The sector expects patient numbers and revenues to grow by 30-40 percent in 2022.”
