From Curacao, Canada, the United States and Ecuador 10 entrepreneurs will travel to Medellin to participate in a business forum organized by PROCOLOMBIA for the next International Health Tourism Congress (Medesalud).
" They are coming in search of specialized healthcare services because they recognize Colombia as a potential destination for their patients for procedures such as cardiovascular, oncological, opthalmologic, orthopedic and orthodontic surgeries, cosmetic surgery and other very complex procedures," explained Maria Claudia Lacouture, president of Proexport.
As a preamble to the business meeting, which will be held September 5 in the Plaza Mayor, the entrepreneurs will visit 11 hospitals and clinics in the capital of Antioquia that offer medical treatments that run from very complex to simple.
Also, PROCOLOMBIA is bringing five journalists who specialize in medical matters from the Caribbean and Panama. They will also visit healthcare centers in Bogota and Pereira.
That will be the second business forum that PROCOLOMBIA will hold during the academic event organized by the Medical and Orthodontic Services Cluster, supported by the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Tourism, and Medellin' s Chamber of Commerce and Town Hall.
About the Sector
Colombian medicine is know for the quality of its services and hospital infrastructure, latest technology, training of its medical staff and international certifications.
In fact, the country is a pioneer in the creation of its own quality accreditation systems. Today, there are 25 Colombian institutions accredited nationally and 2 accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI).
The latter awarded Colombia a positive classification in the magazine AmericaEconomia. After it analyzed 190 Latin American clinics and hospitals, it included 16 institutions of four cities (Bogota, Medellin, Bucaramanga and Cali) in its list of the top 40 in the region.
" Colombia' s case is the clearest because 16 hospitals are divided among four cities that is the greatest subset in the ranking. And the Colombian market, very decentralized, doubles its power by each healthcare cluster distributed throughout the country," noted the publication.
PROCOLOMBIA, as part of its work promoting the country, has been carrying out fam trips that invite insurance companies and facilitators to see the technology, infrastructure and clinics Colombia has to offer.
This year, 13 potential international buyers have visited the country. Among them were intermediaries, insurance companies and employers from the United States, a country from which there is a potential to attract clients.
" We have also identified opportunities for growth in markets such as Central America, Europe and the Caribbean, where specialized health services and very complex services are needed," said Maria Claudia Lacouture, PROCOLOMBIA president.