Santander portrays itself as an international health destination

Bucaramanga, May 12th. (Pxp). - The level of medical services offered by health professionals in Santander, have made that department one of the favorite destinations for those who wish to undergo treatment or surgery from abroad at competitive prices and with the highest quality standards.

"In 2007, when we began with international patients, we had 16 of them. This year, which is still in its first half, we have had 190 patients", stated Edgar Grisales, chief of the international service office of the Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia.

This, one of the two national clinics accredited internationally by the Joint Commission, receives patients mainly from Ecuador, Aruba and Panama, but they also have patients from U.S.A., Germany and England.

The same happens with the Fundación Oftalmológica de Santander (Foscal). "Generally speaking, we have patients from the Caribbean islands like Aruba and Curacao. But, I never imagined that we'd receive patients from Suriname, and we're receiving more patients from that country every day. This shows how the positive image we have abroad, has been spreading", said Rodolfo Galvis, from affairs, business, and international agreements of Foscal.

Exporting Health Services, as it is also known, is one of the areas that PROCOLOMBIA promotes at an international level, thanks to the high training level and professionalism of physicians, and the state of the art technology of the clinics, which are at the same level as the most important clinics in the world.

During these years, all patients treated in the country have become the main element within the promotion of Colombian medical services. "This is what generates more trust", said Galvis, who confirmed that this is one of the most important factors that patients consider when making a decision.

Patients themselves validate Galvis' theory. "I was impressed with the service I found in Bucaramanga. I was very nervous at the beginning but the service provided by these doctors is unprecedented. They were concerned with explaining every detail", mentioned Verhonda Eggleston, who traveled from New York for an eye surgery.

Margarita Koolman experienced a similar situation. "In Aruba there was no specialized doctor to perform the procedure I needed for my eyes. This is why I came to Colombia".

On the other hand, Harris Dalsan, a chef from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, arrived at Santander as a result of a heart condition. "They told me this country had very good doctors. I was surprised specially by the kindness of Colombians. Despite the language difference, everyone is very friendly".
Free trade zones for the health sector Santander has started to have a leading role in the national horizon, which is lead by Bogota, and Medellin. Both the Foscal clinic and the Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia are working on the hospital free trade zone in Bucaramanga, which promises to strengthen the region as a health destination.

The service offering foreigners find in Colombia is diverse, although those with the highest demand are cardiology, cancer treatment, ophthalmology, orthopedics, dentistry, comprehensive medical examinations and plastic surgery.

PROCOLOMBIA, entity in charge of the promotion of tourism, investment and non-traditional exports; identified that the commercial opportunity for health professionals lies in the end customer, as well as in insurance companies and foreign physicians.

There are several reasons why the country is selected as a health destination. Within the global performance of health systems, Colombia is in the first position in Latin America and number 22 in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The country is also a pioneer in the creation of health accreditation systems, and it has contributed to world medicine with its significant advances: the Hakim valve (created for managing illness that affects the brain), and a vaccine against malaria (a tropical illness that causes severe health problems in the tropic).