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Entrepreneurs and international journalists who visited Medesalud 2011 emphasized on the quality of specialized health services offered by the city, after a tour of the main clinics in the capital of Antioquia.
" They have world-class service, no doubt about it. This should be the image of Colombia to the world, " said Mahendra Ramotar, a journalist from Guyana and part of the group of 10 journalists and 15 international buyers invited by PROCOLOMBIA to the International Health Tourism Congress (Medesalud 2011), scheduled to end this September 14 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Medellí n.
Buyers are representatives of international insurance companies, facilitators and employers, who arrived from the United States, Ecuador and Panama.
Journalists from the United States, Panama, Curacao, Suriname, St. Martin and Ecuador, markets that have been identified by PROCOLOMBIA as potential clients to export specialized health services.
The academic meeting organized by the Cluster, Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of Medellin, began with a familiarization tour by major medical institutions in the capital of Antioquia that allowed foreign guests to see the services first hand, as well as the hospital infrastructure, Colombian doctors and staff, as well as the advantages of bringing patients to the South American country.
" What surprised me most was how modern the facilities are, as well as their beauty and the equipment they have, all first class," said Alan Hine of Walter Mortensen Insurance. " They also have very affordable prices. I recently had to go to the dentist and it cost me $900 dollars here I would have paid $150," he added.
During the day, they walked around and talked to the doctors at clinics like El Rosario, Odontoló gica PROMTA, and Cardiovascular, Specialized Centers, San Vicente Fundació n, Hospital Pablo Tobon Uribe, IQ Interquiró fanos, and the Breeding Institute of Antioquia (INSER).
On Tuesday they attended various scheduled conferences, but also with the aim of making agreements for the future, buyers will have a business conference with 30 clinics and medical and dental hospitals.
Ivá n Vá squez from SunMed International, who has been awaiting the business meeting, explained that he has " many trade agreements with various health care providers here we seek to enhance this network of services for our customers."
Meanwhile, Armando Polanco from Texas Benefit, said " good years are coming to Colombia. I travel a lot around the world visiting hospitals and I can say Colombia is emerging as a strong health destination because it has it all: good leadership, an excellent infrastructure, the price factor, exceptional professionals and it is only a short flight away from the United States and countries in Central America and the Caribbean."
