Medical tourism revenues rise by 37%, surpassing the $10 million mark

Cairo - Nadeh Imam: Dr. Ahmed Al-Sabki, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Healthcare, held an extensive meeting with officials from the departments and sectors concerned with medical tourism within the Authority, to follow up on developments in the medical and health tourism file, and to discuss mechanisms for its development and expansion in attracting international patients and maximizing returns, thereby supporting the optimal utilization of the advanced medical potentials and services possessed by the Authority’s facilities.

The Head of the Healthcare Authority emphasized the importance of focusing on medical specialties with high demand and competitive advantage in the medical tourism market, foremost among them being cosmetic services, in vitro fertilization (IVF), obesity treatment, and advanced dentistry, in addition to various other medical specialties. This should be accompanied by the development of integrated, marketable, and contractible medical packages that align with the needs of targeted markets and enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian medical services.

The Authority’s Chairman directed strengthening the integration between the General Authority for Healthcare and the national medical tourism platform “Tour 4 Cure,” digitalizing medical tourism services, and providing an integrated system to manage the medical tourist’s journey. He stressed the importance of linking the available medical services and capabilities within the Authority’s facilities to the platform, thereby facilitating international patients’ access to appropriate services, integrating marketing, referral, coordination, and patient reception efforts, and maximizing the use of available medical potentials. This aims to enhance Egypt’s competitiveness as a regional and international destination for medical tourism.

He also emphasized activating liaison points and facilities within the Authority’s institutions to serve foreign patients and handle contracts, ensuring a clear institutional pathway for dealing with international patients and contracting entities, rapid response to their needs, and improving their experience from arrival at the facility until the completion of their treatment journey.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Sabki directed the immediate commencement of coordination with specialized Turkish medical centers involved in medical tourism, which were included in the recent visit to Turkey. The goal is to activate areas of cooperation and leverage their expertise in developing medical services, marketing, and attracting international patients, supporting the Authority’s orientation toward expanding its international partnership network and opening new channels to attract patients from external markets.

He stressed that international partnerships represent one of the key pillars for developing the medical and health tourism file, through the exchange of expertise and leveraging successful international experiences, and developing cooperation models that add value to both parties, thereby enhancing the quality and competitiveness of medical services provided within the Authority’s facilities.

The Healthcare Authority noted that its revenues from medical tourism rose by 37% compared to the previous year, breaking the $10 million threshold, alongside the treatment of approximately 42,000 medical tourists at the Authority’s hospitals. It confirmed that these results reflect the growing demand for the medical services provided by the Authority’s facilities and their ability to compete in the medical tourism market. The Authority indicated that the next phase aims to build on this growth and achieve a new qualitative leap in the number of international patients and revenues.