Singapore: A modern healthcare tourism destination

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The journey of a medical tourist visiting another country for treatment can be quite predictable. The hospital could be expectedly routine, the staff stiff-collared, the food unsurprising and the overall ambience? As anticipated, what else?

However, imagine an experience where you could shop for your favourite dress and accompanying nail-polish on your wireless tablet and have it delivered in an hour by your hospital bedside. Or the fact that you could order the choicest dessert post-recovery and have it given to you from the hospital’s state-of-the-art kitchen. Wouldn’t this be a memorable and ‘un-hospital-like’ experience?

Well then, welcome to Singapore, a modern high-tech healthcare tourism hub.

Singapore: At the cutting-edge of medical treatment

The medical tourism market is projected to be worth HK$114 billion in the Asia-Pacific economies within the next two to three years. With a rise in the burden of diseases meshed with growing medical complexities, a larger number of patients are now requiring highly complex surgeries and treatments and Singapore certainly has an edge in such specialist cases, reinforcing its status as a cutting-edge healthcare tourism destination.

Leveraging advanced healthcare technology by virtue of having a large specialist medical fraternity that possesses global experience through working in some of the world’s most renowned healthcare institutions, Singapore is credibly seen as having more experienced doctors and higher standards of sophisticated equipment. This has made medical tourism a highly successful concept in Singapore with international patients coming to the country for health screenings as well as for high-end surgical procedures in specialities like cardiology, neurology, oncology, obstetrics, gynaecology, ophthalmology, organ transplants, orthopaedics and paediatrics. Moreover, the country has expertise in advanced cancer treatment and major abdominal, blood vessel, bypass and minimally-invasive surgeries and robotic operations.

Hence, overseas patients are naturally gravitating to this nation, which is quickly emerging as a fulcrum for advanced healthcare.

Singapore: The emerging axis of experiential healthcare

The profile of the average medical tourists to Singapore has changed over the years in the sense that they no longer seek treatment only when they fall ill. There is a surge in medical tourists seeking preventive treatments or reversal of lifestyle-related ailments. For instance, they may come for routine colonoscopy and combine it with a few days of exploration, shopping and sightseeing.

Singapore is emerging as the axis for providing medical tourists with holistic experiential healthcare where the certainty of being looked after well goes beyond just healthcare. For instance, instead of just being treated with medication, patients are preferring medical services where they are respected and cared for.

Hospitals in Singapore are increasingly catering to these evolving expectations by providing hospital rooms and facilities that are more ‘hotel-like’ and doctors and other caregiver staff who can speak their own language. Singapore specialises in this ‘value-added’ treatment that focuses on wellness and encourages patients to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Singapore: Another word for ‘peace of mind’

The small island nation of Singapore, a multi-cultural society, is well-known for its stringent laws and regulations, particularly in areas involving cleanliness. These regulations are naturally carried over to the nation’s ultra-high quality levels in healthcare and world-class facilities, making it an ideal destination for medical travellers looking for modern infrastructure, a clean, safe and welcoming environment and English-speaking medical professionals. This is on top of an efficient transportation system, wide range of accommodation options and a large variety of leisure offerings to enhance the experience in Singapore.

Most hospitals and speciality centres in the nation cater to medical tourists and practically all of them offer high-quality healthcare. Most major hospitals in Singapore have international accreditations from the Joint Commission International (JCI), ISO or OHSAS. Besides, the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Accreditation Council control and regulate the certification of medical devices and other health products.

In effect, Singapore is a highly urbanised, orderly and spotless country and hence, medical tourists can avoid the chaotic environment that is typical to some Asian countries. So if you are looking for peace-of-mind, Singapore is ready to welcome you.

Raffles Hospital: A top-grade international hospital

Though Singapore has a large number of hospitals, the one that stands out among the pack is Raffles Hospital.

Located conveniently at the heart of Singapore, Raffles Hospital is a full-service private hospital offering comprehensive specialist services combined with advanced medical technology. The hospital aims to maintain Singapore’s leadership as a regional healthcare hub by providing more complex procedures such as neuro-vascular interventional procedures, targeted cancer treatments, heart surgeries, orthopaedic surgeries and fertility treatments.

Patients are in safe hands when one considers the fact that the innovative Raffles Hospital Group Practice Model embraces a collaborative care approach and enables its medical specialists to offer team-based care that is especially important for patients who have multiple medical conditions and require the care of more than one doctor. As a team, specialists diagnose and treat patients efficiently. Concurrently, costs are kept low by not repeating consultations or examinations unnecessarily.

The fact that such top-class healthcare services, dispensed at Raffles Hospital, has not gone unnoticed among overseas medical tourists as more than 35 per cent of Raffles Hospital’s patients are foreigners, comprising nationals from more than 100 countries.

And yes, the team at Raffles Hospital can speak a plethora of languages – Bengali, Mandarin, Bahasa Indonesian, Malay, Russian, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Myanmar, Khmer, Korean, Arabic and Japanese. Hence, even if English is not your strong point, there should be no worries over communication. So if you are travelling to Singapore, you can very well expect to be greeted at a hospital with: “Aashun. Kemon aachen?”

Why are an increasing number of patients choosing Raffles Hospital?

Understanding how it feels to be ill and in a foreign land, Raffles Hospital has set up the Raffles International Patients Centre (Raffles IPC) to provide personalised care for international patients.

Raffles Hospital, JCI-accredited since 2008 and the largest integrated private healthcare provider in Singapore, offers 24-hour emergency services, family medicine services, health screenings and a wide range of multi-disciplinary specialist clinics. It is equipped with tastefully-appointed wards, day surgery centres, angiography suites, delivery suites, operating theatres, intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit. It also has its own radiology, clinical laboratory, pharmacy, dietetics, rehabilitation and traditional Chinese medicine departments.

With a view to providing a welcome divergence to patients in a bid to rejuvenate their post-treatment experience, in 2016, Raffles established Raffles Holland V, a healthcare, fitness and wellness mall that houses a curated list of tenants to provide unique dining, beauty, lifestyle and personal banking experiences. Moreover, the mall also houses Raffles Medical Centre-Holland V, a state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary medical centre that offers patients a whole host of medical facilities, including family medicine, health screening, dental, traditional Chinese medicine and other specialist services.

GDAssist, Bangladesh’s largest and most prominent healthcare tourism facilitator, provides comprehensive consultation and the widest range of packages to patients travelling to Singapore for medical treatment purposes. Through a strong healthcare network in Singapore, including with Raffles Hospital, GDAssist can assist patients to avail themselves of world-class treatment options as per their budgets and affordability. Moreover, as an integrated solutions provider, the company can take patients by the hand right through the journey and provide something that transcends service.

So, call GDAssist today. You could be on your way to Singapore for a world-class medical experience in the next few days.

Hotline: 16457; 01617666888. Email: gdal@green-delta.com

Website:  gdassist.com

The importance of being cancer-wise

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The dreaded six-letter word is all the more feared because it is apparently invisible. Cancer can strike anybody, irrespective of gender, profession, ethnicity and class.

This article narrates the stories of Sarah and Borhan, geographically separated, and their fight against cancer like million others.

While revealing certain statistics on malignancy, readers will also find this post useful as it discusses the importance of cancer prevention.

“I’m really sorry but the mammogram has shown two tumours in the left breast,” said the doctor.

This is a true story of 42-year-old Sarah de-Guille.

The door handle of the hospital room in which Sarah was admitted started to turn. She knew this was the moment that could change her life forever.

The surgeon appeared with a paramedic staff. He started to go through Sarah’s notes comprising family history, the mammogram results and the biopsy and then delivered the devastating news:

“I’m really sorry but the mammogram has shown two tumours in the left breast.

Sarah felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach. She never thought she would be given the news that she had breast cancer. Until that moment, her life was pretty much perfect – she was a mother of a loving son, wife of a wonderful man and had a career she was passionate about.

The room blurred before her as tears welled up.

Sarah is among the growing number of women being diagnosed with breast cancer. In fact, breast cancer, at 24.3 per cent, is the second leading malignancy site among females with carcinoma cervix at the top at 24.6 per cent and lung cancer at 5.5 per cent and oral cancer at 4.1 per cent comprising the rest of the leading sites.

Borhan Quadi started to experience fatigue and occasional chest, neck and shoulder pain. To manage this, he started to have regular massages with a shot of Vitamin-B, believing that this would resolve his symptoms.

53-year-old Borhan, who was born in Bangladesh and moved to Australia almost two decades ago, is reasonably fit. He is married with two beautiful daughters and has been operating his own accounting practice.

Health and fitness is always important to him throughout his life, particularly since he managed the accounts of a healthcare service provider in Queensland.

Over the past two years, Borhan started to experience fatigue and occasional chest, neck and shoulder pain. To manage this, he started to have regular massages with a shot of Vitamin-B, believing that this would resolve his symptoms. However, upon the advice of a colleague, he took time out of his busy schedule and booked a doctor’s appointment to have his heart checked as he was still experiencing occasional chest pain.

After prolonged diagnosis, the doctor informed that Borhan had cancer in his left lung which was responsible for these combined symptoms.

Borhan is among the list of growing male patients suffering from lung cancer, which is the leading malignancy site in males at 24.7 per cent, followed by malignancy of unknown primary site at 18 per cent, larynx at 7.3 per cent and lymphatic organ malignancy at 7.3 per cent.

Together, Sarah and Borhan are among the growing number of cancer patients the world over with the majority of them, aged 40 to 60, with a profile showing that almost 56 per cent of cancer patients are male and the rest of the 44 per cent are female.

The burden of cancer on the society is growing every second. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide with the number of new cancer cases expected to rise sharply to 22 million within the next two decades. It has also been estimated that more than 60 per cent of the world’s new cancer cases occur in Africa, Asia and Central and South America alone with as much as 70 per cent of the world’s cancer deaths also occurring in these regions.

Demographically, the top-10 malignancies among both the sexes are: lung (16.7 per cent), cervix (10.4 per cent), breast (10.3 per cent), unknown primary (6.2 per cent), lymph node and lymphatic (5.5 per cent), larynx (5.0 per cent), oesophagus (4.0 per cent), oral cavity (3.9 per cent), bones and cartilage (3.3 per cent) and stomach (3.1 per cent).

WHO estimates that cancer represents 13 per cent of all global deaths and lung cancer is by far the number one cancer-killer, making up as much as 14 per cent of all newly diagnosed cancers. It adds that annually, more patients die from lung cancer alone than prostate, breast and colon cancers combined (in the US). An average man’s lifetime risk of developing lung cancer is as high as 1 in 13; for a woman, the risk is 1 in 16 (US estimates). Importantly, these risk figures are for all adults including smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers. However, the risk for a regular smoker is dramatically higher. Cervix and breast cancer are among the other leading malignancies.

Hearteningly, there is an overwhelming global push towards becoming cancer-wise.

In the world of today, statistics are no longer considered to be merely numbers and trends; indeed, they are used as a decisive tool to raise awareness on cancer and also reach out to a wider population pool on the ways and means to preclude cancer. In effect, statistics on the top malignancies are being leveraged to ensure that communities and societies become cancer-wise and, eventually, cancer-free.

Though in many cases, what is known about cancer prevention is still evolving, it is a well-accepted fact that one’s chances of developing cancer are affected by the lifestyles. So if you are concerned about cancer prevention, take comfort in the fact that some simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference, illustrated through some valuable cancer preclusion tips.

  • Don’t consume tobacco

Using any type of tobacco puts you on a collision course with cancer. Smoking has been linked to various types of cancers, including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney. Chewing tobacco has been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Even if you don’t use tobacco, exposure to second-hand smoke may increase your risk of lung cancer. Importantly, deciding to stop using tobacco is one of the most important health decisions you can make.

  • Eat healthy diet

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and other foods from plant sources, such as whole grains and beans. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-calorie foods, including refined sugars and fat from animal sources.

If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. The risk of various types of cancers — including cancer of the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver — increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you’ve been drinking regularly.

  • Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active

Maintaining a healthy weight might lower the risk of various types of cancers, including cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney.

Physical activity counts too. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own might lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer. As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine — and if you can do more, even better.

  • Get immunised

Cancer prevention includes protection from certain viral infections and it is important to get immunisation against Hepatitis-B that can increase the risk of developing liver cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a sexually-transmitted virus that can lead to cervical and other genital cancers.

  • Get regular medical care

Regular self-examination and screening for various types of cancers —skin, colon, cervix and breast cancer — can increase your chances of discovering cancer early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.

With rising cases of all types of cancer malignancy reflected in the statistics, it is most critical to engage in regular screening for prevention or subsequent cure.

As one of the most reputed healthcare facilitation service providers in Bangladesh, GDAssist is a brand that patients have come to trust. The company provides end-to-end services for cancer patients travelling outside of Bangladesh for treatment. Having facilitated the travel of as many as 4.0 per cent of its total patients for cancer treatment abroad, the company’s solutions comprises time-bound visa, ticketing and insurance; specialised logistical arrangements; hospital selection and doctor appointments and high levels of flexibility in terms of customising the package as per patient budget and affordability.

Cancer is a lethal disease and for seeking treatment abroad, speak with GDAssist today.

Hotline: 16457; 01617666888. Email: gdal@green-delta.com

Website:  gdassist.com

Bangladesh to expand business in Turkey

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Bangladesh has taken an initiative to develop trade with Turkey by launching “Bangladesh Business Mission to Turkey 2018 (BBMT 2018)” to share the upcoming business mission activities.

EXPOPRO (Center for Business Development & Communications), in collaboration with GOODSOURCE, ADSL and GDASSIST organised the ‘BBMT 2018’ at Chittagong on Monday.

The private trade promotion organisation, EXPOPRO, arranged the event with the support of Bangladesh Embassy in Ankara, Bangladesh Consulate General in Istanbul and Turkish Embassy in Dhaka.

Ar Md Alamgir Jalil, immediate past president of Bangladesh Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI), was present in the launching ceremony as the chief guests.

M. A Bakar, joint secretary general of the BMCCI, ‎Syed Moinuddin Ahmed, additional managing director and company secretary of ‎Green Delta Insurance Company Limited, were present as special guests.

Founder and CEO of EXPOPRO Md Mamunur Rahman presented the upcoming business mission activities to the potential delegates of the BBMT 2018 at the function.

They organised the business mission to attend couple of trade shows in Istanbul and Konya, Turkey during 15 to 21 April 2018, says a media release.

The main objective of the BBMT 2018 is to explore Turkey as a reliable and effective source, they said.

The mission has also a target of diversified products and services and to create scope for making wide network for the Turkish businessmen with the Bangladeshi business communities.

The business mission will also provide a great scope and avenue to the businessmen, visitors and professionals from Bangladesh to explore Turkey as the preferred source for yarn, apparel & textiles machineries, construction & furniture/interior items and tourism etc, the release said.

8 important things to do before medical treatment abroad

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With the global medical tourism market galloping at a compounded rate of 19% , one thing is amply clear. A large number of the world’s population is embarking on overseas journeys to recuperate from afflictions and heal themselves, the treatment of which might not be accessible in their country of origin.

So if you are someone who is planning to take the journey abroad for treatment or are just about to leave for your voyage, this post will be the most relevant for you, helping you ensure that you have a seamless travel experience and draw the maximum healthcare benefit out of your travel. In any case, you really do not want to reach the airport to find that your passport is just about to expire or has less than the stipulated blank pages

So here is a list of 8 important things to do before embarking on medical treatment abroad.

One: Consult your local / family doctor before you take the flight

It is crucial that you turn to your local healthcare expert and brief him comprehensively of your pre-existing condition as well as your reason for travelling abroad for medical treatment. This will help the doctor assess your state and, most importantly, prepare you for the flight ahead, right up to the time you enroll into the hospital. This is especially crucial for patients suffering from respiratory, cardiac, bariatric and neuro-surgical disorders who are vulnerable and might require medication and appropriate preparatory treatment for embarking on the journey. It would also be wise to arrange for follow-up care with your doctor, as any complication post arrival (the chances of which are rare) can be addressed with speed and surety.

It is always wise to keep your local doctor up-to-date with your medical condition – both before and after travel.

Two: Ensure that your passport and visa is in proper order

A visa is a must if you are seeking medical treatment in reputed / recognized specialized hospitals or treatment centers abroad. In some countries like India, the validity of the passport must be 6 months beyond stay with at least two blank passport pages available. For patients who are minors, they have to sign their name inside the signature box in the visa application form or if they are too small, they must have their thumbprint stamped inside the box. To grant a visa, some countries also demand proof of sufficient funds with recent bank statements needing to be submitted along with the visa application form. Moreover, for India, family members or relatives of the applicant also require Medical Attendant visas for travel.

Visas are a must if travelling overseas for seeking medical treatment in specialized hospitals. In India, a medical visa is a must for being allowed to travel to the country for treatment purposes. Since the issue of medical visas requires proper documentation, early planning can ensure seamless and hassle-free grant of visas.

Three: Get your medical records properly arranged and filed

All your medical records must be arranged and properly documented for ease in retrieval. Ideally, the patient’s historical medical records must be photocopied for ease in referencing in case the original copies are lost. Certain types of medical documents, such as non-prescriptive ones like CT scans, must be carefully preserved because they are costly and getting them again can be time-consuming. It is also advisable to prepare copies of prescriptions of all the medicines you take and note product details such as medicine brand name, generic name, dosages, etc. The brand names of medicines differ from country to country and this documentation can come especially handy in case of travel overseas.

Take time out in properly arranging all your medical records and documents because they will be required multiple times during your travel.

Four: Get a one-point contact at the destination hospital

It is imperative for the patient to keep up a constant dialogue with the destination hospital, trying to assimilate as much information as possible. Though doctors at the destination hospital will certainly be well-aware of your medical past and the treatment required before you arrive, maintaining a continual exchange of information will not only help build familiarity but will also prepare you well of what to expect. Doctor appointments and procedure bookings must be done in advance to ensure minimal waiting as well as minimal hospital stay, while also helping you save ancillary costs. Getting a one-point contact at the destination hospital is a must after you have shortlisted the most appropriate one for your treatment.

Build as much familiarity as possible with the destination hospital because, being a foreign patient, it will help you acclimatize with your new environment faster, which will have a direct bearing on your healing process.

Five: Appropriate logistical arrangements can save you time and money and earn you peace-of-mind

For your journey from your home to the airport, ensure that a proper vehicle or, in extreme cases, an ambulance, is available to reach you to the airport. If you live in a remote location and have to take multiple flights to reach your final destination, it is advisable to book your journey on a single airline as they will take care of your onward journey in case of delays or cancellations. As time is of essence, book your tickets such that the waiting period between journeys is minimal. Also, intimate the airline staff of your condition and they will ensure that your journey is as smooth as possible. Moreover, do speak with the destination hospital for airport pickup post arrival. It is also important to understand if medical evacuation is possible in the event the patient is stranded by unforeseen circumstances like earthquakes.

A wheelchair is a boon for passengers with medical conditions and pre-booking a wheelchair is a must for the airline staff to arrange one. Remember, doing so will save you a lot of hassles later on.

Six: Ensure that payment arrangements are in place

It is important for you to consider the most suitable payment options as well as the currency exchange rates, especially since you will be dealing with foreign currency. Hence, careful planning is required for money exchange, which can be done either in the country of origin or at the destination with money exchangers usually available within the airport itself. However, there is a cap on how much forex one can carry while travelling abroad and hence it is most advisable to either carry a pre-loaded / pre-paid card or even a credit card, which is universally acceptable. Have an alternative cash arrangement backup to fall back on in case of emergencies.

It is most advisable to carry extra money, over and above of your projected treatment expenditure, as doing so will help you face emergencies or unforeseen cash shortages.

Seven: Keep your important medical information handy

It is advisable to keep your important medical records and contact information in your purse or hand luggage. This can ensure quicker and adequate responses in case of exigencies. Be particularly careful to not pack medical records, prescriptions or other important contact information in the checked-in luggage as these can be lost or delayed, thereby putting your treatment squarely at risk. It is also essential for you to adequately preserve your medicines to prevent leakages and seepages while keeping the integrity of the product quality intact, especially for long-haul flights.

It is always a good idea to carry extra quantity of important dosages in hand as well as keeping your important medical information handy and easily accessible.

Eight: Give yourself some breathing space

Do not rush on things. It is always a good idea to give yourself time, it is always good to relax and be calm. This can have a tremendous impact to help you heal faster and get you back on your feet again. Is is also good to have a confidante with whom you can speak your mind and consult freely – we all have such a figure in our lives with whom we can talk without inhibitions. Most importantly, it is important to maintain positivity, which can do wonders for you.

Don’t jump to quick conclusions. Take your time, give yourself some space and think of going back to your life when you arrive back home – fully fit and raring to go!

For adding to patient convenience and ensuring that their journey is smooth and trouble-free, there are a number of companies that combine their network strength to provide all the support that he / she needs while travelling abroad. These services can include logistical and visa arrangements, health and travel insurance, hospital selection and bookings, doctor appointments, payment solutions, medical evacuation in emergency cases, etc. But remember to choose a service provider who has a strong track record and can produce quality patient referrals.

Best of luck!