Why medical tourism is booming despite pandemic

Travelling abroad for medical procedures during the pandemic

You’d think that during a pandemic, when everyone’s stuck in their home, people could care less about how they look, right? Right now, it’s not just that people are getting minimally-invasive procedures like Botox or fillers; huge numbers of them are getting surgical procedures like tummy tuck Turkey. This article will explain how medical tourism is still booming

Indeed, medical tourism was badly hit at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is on the road to a quick recovery. However, the question remains, why hasn’t the demand for it waned, especially when the concerns for health, safety, and hygiene are at an all-time high?

Affordability of treatments

To bounce back from the COVID-19 slump, many clinics in Turkey started offering discounts on their treatment packages. It’s simple supply and demand. However, these discounts were like the cherry on top. That’s because Turkey is already quite cheap because of the lower cost of living and currency exchange rate than the UK.

The rents of clinics are low, and so is the labour and medical equipment cost. However, there’s no compromise on the quality because of that. What Brits may find shockingly cheap isn’t exactly cheap for Turkish citizens. That’s what makes medical tourism work so well.

Not just that, but clinics also offer all-inclusive treatment packages that are budget-friendly so that people don’t go through much of a hassle when coming to Turkey.

Experienced surgeons & high-quality healthcare

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), Turkey ranks number 9 for the number of plastic surgeons. Moreover, Turkey ranks second-highest for the number of cosmetic procedures that are done in a hospital facility. Many of them also have Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditations.

Because of medical tourism, the patient portfolio of plastic surgeons in Turkey is quite diverse. So, you can feel comfortable getting operated on by them because they know exactly what they’re doing. Other than having certifications from national bodies such as the Turkish Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Society and/or  Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, many also have international accreditation from ISAPS itself.

Not only are the facilities world-class, but the packages are also pretty enticing. You get to stay in a 5-star hotel with a view of one of the seas in Turkey. You also get a private transportation facility so that you can move worry-free. Clinics in Turkey know how to give the best patient experience. Top it all off with the promise of excellent results and evidence of it from past patients, you’d be ready to book the flight to Turkey.

Too much videoconferencing

Staying cooped up inside your house doesn’t mean that you stop looking into the mirror. In fact, many people had to look at their faces, even more so, owing to Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Skype.

Looking at their faces all day long made many people feel uncomfortable with certain aspects of their appearance. It is a reason why the demand for cosmetic treatment never really went away. It just came to a pause for a while. Also, people did have more time on their hands than usual to really scrutinize every inch of their face and body.

People who already did want surgery continued to desire so. The pandemic could not affect a person’s desire to look their best self. It also shatters the claims that people get plastic surgery to please other people. How else can one explain the rise in demand for cosmetic treatments despite the pandemic, where one isn’t socializing like they normally would?

Conclusion

Affordable and high-quality usually doesn’t come in the same sentence. But that’s just the case with medical tourism, and that’s why its popularity has been on the rise. If you’ve been thinking about getting plastic surgery, you should check out Turkey!