Medical Tourism - Destination - Sri Lanka

General Culture

Sri Lanka has been influenced by its long history, the diversity of religious beliefs and the rich artistic tradition (music, dance, visual arts). The lifestyle is reflected in cuisine, festivals and sports. Moreover, there are influences of the neighbor country India and the influences by colonization, the Dutch, the Portuguese and the British. In the world Sri Lanka is famous for cricket, food and the export of tea.

Safety

In 2012 Sri Lanka increased from rank 126 (2011) to rank 103 on GPI. The reason is the end of the three-decade long civil war. Furthermore, it is now know as one of the top 5 countries that have registered improvements in peacefulness.

Tourists Attractions and Sights

- Columbo:

commercial capital of Sri Lanka, more than anywhere else it’s a city where the old and new co-exists

- Minneriya National Park:

stand awestruck by the sight of hundreds of elephants gathering in the afternoon

- Anuradhapura:

sacred home of the world’s oldest living tree

Visa Requirements

All foreign visitors to Sri Lanka should obtain a visa to enter. Visitors who already possess a valid Sri Lankan passport or valid residence permit in Sir Lanka do not need a visa to enter. Visitors for other than tourist purpose (i.e. Diplomatic, business, journalist, etc.) must obtain their visa prior to travel to Sri Lanka, irrelevant of length of stay.

Transportation

The transport system is well developed, including a road network of approximately 100.000 km. A rail network links Colombo to the rest of the country. Because there are too many vehicles on the street, the government has to invest in the network. Since 1980 the number of vehicles tripled up to 1.38 million in 2000.

Accommodation

There are lots of guesthouses and hotels, which range from budget to high end. In Sri Lanka there is no self-serviced accommodation, because its low costs of food make it unpopular.

Health Care Providers

In Sri Lanka there are two types of health care providers, governmental hospitals and private clinics. The governmental hospitals provide free treatment to their patients. The private clinics are more aligned to the medical tourism sector.

Insurance

In Sri Lanka there is only one big insurance provider with an AA- rating for Insurance Financial Strength from the global rating agency Fitch Ratings London it’s named Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Limited. Furthermore, there are many private insurance providers.

General Medical Tourism Information

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.

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

Reasons

• Sri Lanka has a few hospitals, which have very high quality standards
• Sri Lanka is famous through their good quality of Cosmetic surgery

Specialisation

• Ayurveda
• Cosmetic surgery in Sri Lanka, such as breast reduction and augmentation, facelift, rhinoplasty and liposuction
• Orthopaedic surgery in Sri Lanka such as knee surgery, shoulder, hand and foot surgery
• Eye surgery in Sri Lanka, such as laser eye surgery, cataract, glaucoma, squint, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia
• Heart surgery in Sri Lanka, coronary artery bypass graft, cardiac surgery

SWOT

Conclusion

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.

Note: Above charges are subject to change according to Surgeon and Parity Rate.

Also, these treatment charges may vary depending on the condition of the patient & period of time consumed of the treatments