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The level of medical services offered by health professionals in Santander have made this provincial department one of the preferred destinations for those who want to have treatments or surgeries at competitive prices and with the highest quality standards.
" In 2007, when we started out with international patients, we attended 16 of them. This year, which is not even half over yet, there have already been 190" , said Edgar Grisales, head of the office of international services of Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia.
This is one of the two national clinics with international accreditation by the Joint Commission, which receives patients mainly from Ecuador, Aruba and Panama, and also from the United States, Germany and England.
The same occurs with Fundacion Oftalmoló gica de Santander (Foscal). " Generally there are patients visiting from the Caribbean Islands like Aruba and Curacao. But, for instance, I never imagined that patience could visit us from Suriname, and we are getting more and more as time goes by from that country. This is proof of how the positive image of the country has extended abroad&rdquo , said Rodolfo Galvis from International Relations, Business and Conventions from Foscal.
Health service exports, as they are also known, are one of the areas promoted by PROCOLOMBIA internationally, thanks to the high level of training and professionalism of the doctors and state of the art technology from the clinics which are at the height of the most important institutions in the world.
With the passing of the years, the same patients treated in the country have become a fundamental element for the promotion of Colombian medical services. " This is what generates the most trust" , said Galvis, who assured this is one of the most important factors patients consider when making the decision.
The patients themselves corroborate Galvis' theory. " I was impressed by the service I found in Bucaramanga. I was very nervous at the beginning, but the way the doctors treated me has no comparison. The were very thorough in their explanations" , said Verhonda Eggleston, who travelled all the way from New York for an eye surgery.
Margarita Koolman experienced a similar situation. " In Aruba there were no doctors specializing in the procedure I needed to have done on my eyes. That is why I came to Colombia" .
On the other hand, Harris Dalsan, a chef coming from the Caribbean island of Santa Lucia, came to Santander because of a cardiac disease. " I was tld that there were very good doctors in this country. I was surprised, especially by the excellent treatment Colombians gave me. In spite of the language barriers, everyone has been very friendly" .
Duty Free zones for the health sector
Santander has begun to play a star role in the national arena, led by Bogota and Medellin. Both the Foscal clinic and Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia are looking into the hospital duty-free zones project in Bucaramanga, which promises to further promote the region as a health destination.
The service offer found by foreign visitors to Colombia is varied, although the most required are cardiology, cancer treatments, ophthalmology, orthopedics, dentistry, comprehensive medical exams and plastic surgery.
PROCOLOMBIA, the entity in charge of the promotion of tourism, investment and non-traditional exports, identified that the commercial opportunity for health professionals is in the end user, as well as insurance companies and foreign doctors.
There are several reasons why patients choose the country as a health destination. Colombia ranks first in Latin America in overall health system performance, and 22 in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Furthermore, the country pioneers the creation of its own health accreditation systems and has made important contributions to medical science in the world through its great developments. The Hakim valve (invented for the treatment of brain diseases), and a vaccine against Malaria (a tropical disease that causes serious health problems in the region).
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