Health is the new wealth
Surgery by the river Rhine: Düsseldorf counts as one of the top-destinations amongst international healthcare tourists. This is big business. A large number of clinics, doctors and agencies have specialised in catering for this economic sector.
Round 2,000 doctors with their own surgery, more than a dozen specialist clinics and the worldwide leading health trade fair Medica: Düsseldorf enjoys an excellent international reputation as a medical location. This attracts a lot of healthcare tourists to the city – primarily patients from the Gulf- or CIS States. Next to Munich or Berlin, Düsseldorf with its well-known professors is considered to be the most popular location for surgical procedures within the whole of Germany. Clients are e.g. people working in the embassies where the costs are covered by their home authorities, or people paying privately, such as oligarchs and sheiks. One reason for Düsseldorf’s popularity is the high range of treatment procedures within a relatively small space. On top of that it offers an attractive city centre with plenty of luxury retailers that can be reached on foot from first-class 5-star hotels. Especially patients travelling from the Gulf States combine their stay in the city with sight-seeing, shopping and their summer holidays and frequently take their entire family along with them for emotional support.
Next to the Uniklinik Düsseldorf primarily private clinics and surgeries are being consulted. Many international patients are looking for a fast and uncomplicated course of examinations and the use of the most modern diagnostic techniques. “Patients attach great importance to professionalism and quality. German high-performance medicine enjoys an excellent reputation abroad - as clinicians we profit from this, too,” confirms the dermatologist Dr Arne Gerber, who treats many international patients with skin cancer in Oberkassel, both surgically and also less invasively. “Germany is a country of top-class medicine and has very high medical standards, that not many other countries can match,” explain Dr M. Goldnau and A. Shahzad of the Cardio Health Centrum at Neuen Zollhof in Düsseldorf. It is not only that there is a lot of trust in healthcare made in Germany, it is also regarded as chic to be treated abroad.Generally healthcare tourists can be separated into two groups: business people who increasingly combine business travel with medical treatment and patients who travel to Düsseldorf specifically for a medical treatment. This can be complicated interventions, surgical procedures that may not be possible in their own countries or it may be comprehensive cancer treatment. Düsseldorf also has the reputation of being Europe’s ‘capital of cosmetic surgery’. It appears that, whereas it used to be predominantly women opting for plastic surgery, it is now increasingly men who seek cosmetic augmentation. However, not only cosmetic surgery is keeping local surgeons busy, but also the treatment of severe deformities. Other priorities are laser treatments and aesthetic dermatology.
Health visitors are mainly investing in prevention. There is an increased demand for medical check-ups with high-tech instruments, which some of the surgeries in Düsseldorf offer. The private surgery Radprax does this in close vicinity to the airport. “Our international clients expect medical and diagnostic technology of the highest level and the excellent knowledge and experience of our doctors,” says Anna Kobrya, site manager. The ambience, too, is of great importance. It is also expected that cultural differences are taken into consideration and that there is help with regards to booking accommodation, translators and visa-applications. “When you travel all the way here and pay to have your entire body checked over, then you expect everything to be organised perfectly,” says Kobrya. For healthcare tourists it is of no consequence that they have to cover the high costs for the preventative day-check-up (including a one hour long whole-body MRI) themselves. Money is not important.
Help with accommodation, transport, chauffeur-service, easy accessibility and comprehensive after-care - specialist agencies such as MedProm or Elinor Travel have specialised in catering for the all-round care of international patients. They offer to organise particular health visas, the translation and transfer of patients’ health details to the German clinicians, all the way to the organisation of the entire journey and a frame-work programme. The patients are being supported locally and very discreetly. Advertising is not necessary. Patients have a good network, agencies and surgeons are being recommended back home by word of mouth. However, this business is mainly based on trust. In particular Mid-dle Eastern patients hope above all for a treatment with heart and soul and the person at the centre of attention, next to the newest high-tech medicine.
“We are aiming to make the patient feel at home in a foreign land.”
Dermatology in Düsseldorf: International patients with skin cancers take advantage of both surgical and less invasive treatments here.
“We are aiming to make the patient feel at home in a foreign land,” says Khadija Miri who is the assistant of the Medical Head of Patient Management Middle East at the Clinic Bel Etage. She is also a lecturer for intercultural communication at the Uniklinik Düsseldorf. Feeling well looked-after and the ability to communicate in one‘s own language supports the recovery process. It is difficult to estimate just how many Arab patients are being treated in Germany, as many combine medical treatment with their summer holidays and therefore do not declare their journeys as medically motivated. Patients travelling from the CIS States spend at average a couple of days at their destination and travel with one accompanying person. Arab patients, however, stay for a couple of weeks or more and take with them around three people. Experts are expecting a steep increase in health tourism despite the fact that the pandemic meant that treatments had to be postponed and travel was restricted. The next health tourism market is considered to be China. An increasing number of Chinese are getting richer, want to travel, keep their bodies healthy and follow the excellent reputation of Germany’s medical services. Across countries health is the new wealth.•
Hightech-Vorsorge: Mit 3-Tesla-Magnetresonanztomographen werden bei Radprax einstündige Ganzkörper-MRT-Untersuchung durchgeführt.
Hilfe bei der Unterbringung, Transport- und Chauffeurservice, gute Erreichbarkeit und weiterführende Betreuung auch nach der Behandlung – spezielle Agenturen wie die MedProm oder Elinor Travel haben sich auf die Rundum-Betreuung internationaler Patienten spezialisiert. Das Angebot reicht von der Organisation eines speziellen Gesundheitsvisums, über die Übersetzung und Übermittlung der Patientenakte an die deutschen Ärzte bis zur Reiseorganisation und Erstellung eines Rahmenprogramms. Die Patienten werden vor Ort persönlich und sehr diskret betreut. Werbung bedarf es nicht. Die Patienten sind gut vernetzt, Agenturen und Ärzte werden im den Heimatländern über Mund-zu-Mund-Propaganda weiterempfohlen. Vordergründig geht es in dem Geschäft um Vertrauen.
Premium hospital room: The Düsseldorf Bel Etage Clinic sets the highest standards in medicine and aesthetics.
Gerade arabische Patienten wünschten sich neben der neuesten High-Tech-Medizin vor allem eine Behandlung mit Herz und Seele, bei der der Mensch im Mittelpunkt stehe. „Wir möchten den Patienten ein Stück Heimat in einem fremden Land geben“, sagt Khadija Miri, die als Assistentin des Ärztlichen Direktors das Patientenmanagement Middle East in der Clinic Bel Etage betreut und daneben als Dozentin für interkulturelle Verständigung an der Uniklinik Düsseldorf tätig ist. Dass sich jemand rundum gut aufgehoben fühle, dass seine Sprache gesprochen werde, trage laut Miri erheblich zur Genesung bei. Wie viele arabische Patienten genau in Deutschland behandelt werden, ist sehr schwer einzuschätzen, weil die Golfaraber die Behandlung meist mit einem mehrwöchigen Sommeraufenthalt verbinden und die Reise deshalb nicht als medizinisch motiviert deklarieren. Patienten aus den GUS-Ländern verbringen im Schnitt nur einige Tage in der Destination und reisen mit einer Begleitperson an. Arabische Patienten verweilen dagegen mehrere Wochen und nehmen im Schnitt drei weitere Personen mit. Auch wenn durch die Corona Pandemie und damit verbundene Reisebeschränkungen sehr viele Eingriffe verschoben wurden, rechnen die Experten mit einem starken Wachstum des Health Tourism. Und mit China steht schon der nächste Markt in den Startlöchern. Denn immer mehr Chinesen kommen zu Wohlstand, wollen reisen, ihre Gesundheit erhalten und dem exzellenten Ruf der deutschen Medizin folgen. Länderübergreifend gilt Health ist the new wealth.•
Three questions for Dr. Murat Dağdelen
Vice President for the Gesellschaft für Ästhetische Chirurgie Deutschland e.V. (GÄCD) and consultant for plastic and cosmetic surgery, founder and Medical Director of DiaMonD Aesthetics.
What effects has the pandemic had on the treatment of international patients?
“Due to the pandemic there were less patients travelling from abroad to see us. Many have worried about possible quarantine measures or last minute cancellation of the planned procedure. However, we have been receiving a large number of treatment enquiries as many patients now seek information through video consultations, planning to proceed with the surgery immediately once the pandemic is over. “
What in particular do international patients attach importance to during the treatment?
First of all the reputation of the consultant is of great importance and therefore they expect a very high quality of treatment. Moreover they would like to receive support when planning their trip, for example with regards to accommodation. We employ multi-lingual personnel, which is very helpful for the planning and communication with the patient.”
Are there any trends or new treatment methods, which particularly international clients ask for?
“International patients most frequently come to us in order to have nose surgery or breast enlargement. Usually they find out from other patients and their surgery results through social media and wish for a similar outcome. For slim women who are wishing for a more voluminous bottom, the Aquaflilling treatment is very sought after. Currently we are also receiving many enquiries from Asian patients who would like to have upper eyelid surgery or are requesting a narrowing of the face.” •
Words: Karolina Landowski
Pictures: PR, Dermatologie Luegplatz, Radprax, Clinic Bel Etage, Diamond Aesthetics