Prime Travel From the Archives
Medical Tourism Sri Lanka: The Complete Health Destination
Sri Lanka’s appeal as a tourist destination is partly a reflection of its remarkable variety of attractions. Beach holidays, cultural packages and eco-tourism are all on offer to the discerning traveller. In recent years, Sri Lanka has also come to stake its claim as a global health destination. While the proliferation of Ayurvedic health spas across the country is testament to the restorative benefits of this ancient holistic system of medicine, Colombo also now boasts a selection of modern, well equipped private hospitals offering the latest in conventional medical and surgical therapies. That Sri Lanka should position itself as a global health destination is hardly surprising. The island has long been a centre of physical and spiritual healing. Travel to the Cultural Triangle and you will see the ruins of ancient hospitals over 1,000-years-old, along with excavated surgical instruments that look remarkably similar to modern-day surgical forceps. Since the 1970s, Sri Lankan doctors have come to be among the country’s best-known exports to the West and virtually all the specialists in Sri Lanka have had at least part of their postgraduate training abroad,
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commonly in the United Kingdom or the United States. A growing number of foreigners are taking advantage of affordable, high quality private healthcare in Sri Lanka, and combining it with
Photo Courtesy of Apollo Hospitals Colombo
by Sanji Gunasekara
“A growing number of foreigners are taking advantage of affordable, high quality private healthcare in Sri Lanka, and combining it with the chance to take a holiday. What better way to prepare for an operation than relaxing for a few days on a palm-fringed golden beach or waking to the pleasant aroma of fermenting tea leaves wafting through your hill country bungalow?”
Photo Courtesy of Apollo Hospitals Colombo
the chance to take a holiday. What better way to prepare for an operation than relaxing for a few days on a palm-fringed golden beach or waking to the pleasant aroma of fermenting tea leaves wafting through your hill country bungalow?
Sacha is a 22-year-old New Zealander and mother of two that last year had breast augmentation and liposuction at Apollo hospital in Colombo. She was positively glowing in her endorsement of Sri Lanka as a choice for her surgery and had no hesitation in recommending Sri Lanka and the package offered through Gorgeous Getaways. She was also full of praise for the two plastic surgeons that operated on her: “Dr Dulip and Dr Thushan are amazing people. They have a great sense of humour and are
Courtesy of Durduns Hospital
While it is possible to establish direct contact with the hospital of your choice, it is usually preferable to obtain a direct referral from your own doctor or to engage the services of a third-party agent, at least when thinking about elective surgery. One such agent is Gorgeous Getaways (www. gorgeousgetaways.com). Based in Melbourne, Australia, this company specializes in organizing cosmetic and surgical holidays to a choice of destinations, including Sri Lanka. However, it also arranges a range of packages including nonsurgical treatments such as dental treatments and spa massages. Louise Cogan, Director of Gorgeous Getaways, says that on average, the costs of a total package to Sri Lanka including airfares, transfers, pre- or post-procedure holiday at a luxury resort, food, hospital stay and all treatment costs, are in the order of 50% of the costs of the surgical procedure alone in the West.
Photo Courtesy of Apollo Hospitals Colombo
Though the medical tourism industry in Sri Lanka is still in its early days, a number of private hospitals in Colombo are well geared to provide services to international clients. Among the best known of these include the Apollo Hospital (www. lankahospitals.com), Asiri Hospital Group (www. asiri.lk), Durdans Hospital (www.durdans.com), and Nawaloka Hospital (www.nawaloka.com). All of these are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and equipment, and offer the latest in diagnostics, medical and surgical services.
very professional. I met them on the day prior to my surgery and was left with the impression that I would be in very capable hands.” Six months following the procedure, Sacha remains delighted with the results. She says she chose Sri Lanka for two main reasons. The first was that it was an exotic destination and sounded more interesting than Kuala Lumpur. The second was that, having done extensive research on the internet, she felt she could expect a good standard of care. She was not disappointed, saying, “The care that I received at Apollo hospital did in fact outstrip my expectations”. travelsrilanka
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According to Jane Gagen of Apollo, the most common surgical services provided to international clients include cosmetic surgery (breast augmentation, tummy tucks, liposuction, facelifts), orthopaedic surgery (knee and hip joint replacements), general surgery (hernia repair, varicose vein surgery), cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafts, stenting) and LASIK vision corrective surgery. Dental procedures are also very popular. Most patients for cardiac surgery are now direct referrals from doctors in the United Kingdom, an area Apollo is looking to expand on following their appointment of a new head of cardiothoracic surgery from the United Kingdom. Many expatriates living in Sri Lanka have long taken advantage of the high quality, affordable, private health care that is available, so it is not unexpected that foreign tourists should also discover these benefits. Following neurosurgery for a benign brain tumour at Asiri Hospital, travelsrilanka’s editor, Richard Boyle, had nothing but the highest praise for the standard of care he received. “Having a brain tumour removed – even a benign one – can be traumatic, but thanks to the confidence of the surgeon, the cheerful and helpful staff, the pleasant state of the hospital, and the state-of-the-art equipment, I had no worries and was discharged in just five days.” Richard was equally impressed with the care he was given following major orthopaedic surgery (a bigliani shoulder implant) late last year at Apollo. “I had an unfortunate experience at Apollo several years back, but I was delighted to find that the hospital is now totally different, mainly due to the Sri Lankan staff, that muted the complicated, painful but exactly executed surgery in the best of conditions.” He should know – his father was a Harley Street specialist and the head of a leading London medical institute. Medical tourism is not without its critics, however, and many professional organizations in the West advise against the idea of travelling abroad for surgery. While concerns about long-term follow-up and the development of possible complications during travel home are legitimate, 8
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do not be deterred by any perceived shortcomings of the healthcare on offer. The private hospitals in Colombo that cater to international clients are modern, well equipped and offer a standard of care at least comparable to what you will find in the West. The specialists they employ are highly skilled and invariably have had their postgraduate training abroad. Nursing staff are also highly trained, and as Richard Boyle has previously remarked, “there is nothing more pleasant than a typically gentle and warm-hearted Sri Lankan in a nurse’s uniform”. Nevertheless, if you are thinking about coming to Sri Lanka for that knee replacement or getting that tummy tuck, it is worth doing some thorough research beforehand. Find out as much about the actual procedure as possible, the qualifications and accreditations of the doctors and the hospital itself. Make sure you address all of your questions and concerns beforehand and get a firm estimate of costs and scheduling. Of particular importance is the length of stay. Ideally, this should be long enough to ensure that there are no complications and that air travel back home is safe. While for the moment Colombo remains the hub of Sri Lanka’s medical tourism potential, a number of impressive health facilities have opened in the other major urban centres. I recently had a full dental check-up, scaling and polish at a very modern private dental clinic in Kandy – all for less than the cost of a haircut in the West! The advent of medical tourism in Sri Lanka is an exciting development and one that holds tremendous promise for growth in the future. Together with the island’s reputation for some of the world’s finest ayruvedic health spas, yoga centres and meditation retreats, Sri Lanka now boasts a full range of the latest conventional medical and surgical treatments. Offering healing for the mind, body and soul, Sri Lanka is truly on its way to becoming the complete health destination. * For more information, see the Guide to Medical Tourism in Sri Lanka at www.srilanka-medical. com/medical-tourism.