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With the greatest number of clinics and hospitals included in America Economia magazine's latest annual ratings, Colombia confirmed its position in Latin America as a leading country in healthcare service.
Following an analysis of 190 institutions from 12 countries, 45 were classified as the best, and of those, 18 were Colombian. This affords Colombia the largest share: 42%. It is followed by Argentina (15%), Brazil (13%), Chile (8%) and Peru (6%).
The study, which was carried out through interviews to gauge the opinions of America Economia readers and doctors from participating hospitals, included participants from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The Valle del Lili Foundation in Cali achieved the top spot in Colombia, rising from 7th position in 2012 to 4th this year. It was followed by Cardioinfantil Foundation (6), Cardiovascular de Colombia Foundation (8), and Pablo Tobó n Uribe Hospital (10).
" We have several advantages. One of these is the different development centers in the country, which mean more options for international patients looking for specialized healthcare services in Colombia," indicated Maria Claudia Lacouture, PROCOLOMBIA president.
Therefore, Colombian participation in the ranking was not limited to Bogota, as occurred with other countries where the clinics and hospitals are centered in the capital. Cities such as Cali, Bucaramanga and Medellin were also included.
Others that were also included were Centro Medico Imbanaco, Clinica las Americas, San Ignacio Hospital, San Vicente de Paul, Clinica Shaio, Foscal, Instituto de Ortopedia Infantil Roosevelt, Mederi, Hospital General de Medellin, Clinica Leon XIII, Clinica del Occidente, Clinica Medellin, Clinica Marly, and Clinica Universitaria Bolivariana.
According to Lacouture, for these reasons, as well as the hospital infrastructure, variety and quality of health care services, and the professionalism of the doctors, patients mainly from the United States, Central America and the Caribbean choose Colombia as a health destination for specialized, highly complex services.
The assessment took several factors into account. One of these was the safety and dignity of the patient, meaning everything that minimizes the risks associated with being in the hospital, and transparency.
Human capital was also taken into account by analyzing the medical and nursing staff, hospital management, and skills, which is measured according to indicators related to number of discharged patients, beds, medical specialties and sub-specialties, and laboratory and surgical tests, among other factors.
Also rated were knowledge management, and efficiency, taking into account variables such as bed and operating room occupancy rates, quality management mechanisms, and lastly, prestige.
