worlds best hospitals for medical tourists

Hospitals from around the world are considered annually for the MTQUA Top 10 list of the World’s Best Hospitals for Medical Tourists™.

Asia continues to be the top medical destination in medical travel: six hospitals in Asia; two in Europe; and two in North America were deemed best in medical tourism for 2010. Even for American medical tourists, despite the longer traveling time, Asian medical destinations offer more and better medical procedures and care than most medical destinations closer to home.

This list of leading hospitals for medical tourism is issued by the Medical Travel Quality Alliance to help patients, hospitals, and medical travel companies better understand the important factors that create an outstanding medical experience for a medical tourist.

All 10 hospitals on the MTQUA Top 10 World’s Best Hospitals for Medical Tourists™ list provide medical treatment and care for medical travelers that is of the highest quality and with advanced technology. All have outstanding local and regional reputations.

Many of these top 10 hospitals have international accreditation from any of several accreditation agencies including US-based Joint Commission International (JCI). Others may not have international accreditation but have stellar international reputations and other qualifications for medical quality and patient safety.

Criteria for selection.

MTQUA World’s Best Hospitals for Medical Tourists™

MTQUA annually publishes the list of the top 10 World’s Best Hospitals for Medical Tourists™. We choose to recognize the hospitals around the world that best meet our criteria for quality in patient care management for international traveling patients. To nominate a hospital as a World’s Best Hospitals for Medical Tourists™, please contact us for a nomination form and deadlines. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact us.

1. Fortis (formerly Wockhardt) Hospital, Bangalore, India

2. Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore

3. Prince Court Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

4. Shouldice Hospital, Toronto, Canada

5. Schoen-Kliniken, Munich, Germany

6. Bumrungrad International, Bangkok, Thailand

7. Bangkok Hospital Medical Center, Bangkok, Thailand

8. Wooridul Spine Hospital, Seoul, Korea

9. Clemenceau Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

10. Christus Muguerza Super Specialty Hospital, Monterrey, Mexico

We recommend these top 10 hospitals mostly without qualification. For some, we attach specific advisories for American medical tourists and others that should be considered as they or their medical travel company makes plans to get treatment abroad.

Fortis Hospital (formerly Wockhardt Hospital), Bangalore.

Fortis Hospital provides excellent surgery options for medical travelers seeking orthopedic procedures including hip resurfacing and replacement, and has exemplary follow up care and services to monitor American medical travelers once they return home. More details here.

Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore.

The Parkway Hospital Group may well be the standard bearer for private hospital care in Singapore, and Gleneagles Hospital is its flagship. Anyone looking for a top medical destination, and a top hospital in this destination, won’t find much better than this.

Prince Court Hospital Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia is a relative newcomer as a medical destination. Prince Court Medical Centre in the capital Kuala Lumpur is a brand-new facility with outstanding patient safety and infection control features including state-of-the-art laminar air-flow technology in all operating rooms and an exceptional burns unit. It is owned by oil and gas giant Petronas, and managed by Austrian health care services.

Shouldice Hospital, Toronto.

Shouldice Hospital has distinguished itself for four decades in managing hernia surgeries. More Americans should know about this private hospital in the land of government-sponsored health care so close to home.

Schoen-Kliniken, Munich.

One of the largest owner-managed hospitals groups in Germany, Schoen-Kliniken meets most of our criteria even though the group has a policy – currently under review – of not encouraging American patients because of the belief that Americans would sue the hospital for any perceived lack of care. This should not stop Americans from seeking medical treatment there as treatment and patient care are outstanding. Schoen-Kliniken welcomes qualified medical travel companies.

Wooridul Spine Hospital, Seoul.

This unique hospital is a world leader in medical treatment of the spine. Wooridul’s influence and prestige has spread worldwide through its doctors and its joint ventures with hospitals in Asia and Europe.

Christus Muguerza Super Specialty Hospital, Monterrey.

Christus Muguerza is an outstanding hospital for medical tourists though it is not isolated from the drug violence raging across Mexico. For anyone who has family or friends, or an on-site medical travel facilitator, in Monterrey who can look out for them in case of trouble, it’s an outstanding choice.

Clemenceau Medical Center, Beirut.

Clemenceau has ties with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and stands out as a leading hospital in the Middle East. For value, treatment and patient care, it doesn’t get much better than this, though some Americans may be uncomfortable traveling to the region for care.

Finally, we selected two excellent hospitals in what many consider to be the leading medical destination, Thailand. It may surprise some that Thailand, a popular medical destination in past years, does not have a hospital at the top of this list. We remain concerned about the possibility of political unrest of the ruling party that has recently caused the closure of the main international airport and some violence.

For anyone, American or otherwise, wishing medical treatment in Thailand, we strongly suggest that plans be made through a medical travel company that has local representatives who can assist should any problems arise. Those coming to Thailand for medical care should register with their embassy in Bangkok.

Bangkok Hospital Medical Center, Bangkok.

The flagship of the largest private hospital chain in Thailand, Bangkok Hospital Medical Center meets several of the MTQUA criteria that make it one of the World’s Best Hospitals for Medical Tourists™. Individual hospitals of the medical center include the distinguished Bangkok Heart Hospital, Bangkok International Hospital, and Wattanosoth Cancer Hospital. The hospital lists qualified medical travel companies on its website.

Bumrungrad International, Bangkok.

The most well-known hospital for medical tourists, Bumrungrad has been taking foreign patients for almost 20 years. Medical records, pharmacy, labs and other hospital departments are almost fully integrated into a state-of-the-art electronic environment.

Criteria for selection