Clinics, travel agencies push Cebu ace in medical tourism
By Cris Evert Lato
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 14:02:00 08/27/2008
CEBU CITY, Philippines - With the recent formation of the Cebu Health and Wellness Council (CHWC), stakeholders opened initiatives to establish Cebu as the country’s prime destination for medical tourism.
CHWC president Oscar Tuason said the council, a coalition of private and public institutions like hospitals, tour operators, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and hotels, wants to showcase Cebu’s medical, health and wellness expertise to the rest of the world.
He said three hospitals – Cebu Doctor's, Chong Hua and Perpetual Succour — are equipped to handle such procedures as lasik, heart transplant and heart bypass surgeries.
These services and more will be packaged and promoted by Cebu travel agencies like Travelvision.
Jennifer Franco, Travelvision operator, said their agency recently began offering basic medical and dental packages.
Franco, who also chairs the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies–Cebu (Naitas-Cebu), said each package features a one-week stay in Cebu where the patient-tourist and companions will be billeted in a either a city hotel or resort.
“The package will give the tourists a total health and wellness experience. The package is composed of an executive medical, dental check-up, a culture and heritage tour, and a spa experience,” she said.
Franco said other DOT-accredited travel agencies will follow suit.
These medical tourism packages first start with executive check-ups.
“From there it will determine what procedure the patient will undergo if any,” said Franco, who is also CHWC vice president.
Franco said they are finalizing the brochure for the packages and will begin marketing them this September.
Since Cebu is home to first-class hospital institutions and world-class tourist spots, CHWC said it will not be hard to market Cebu as a medical tourism destination.
What is needed is to further prepare the institutions that will serve these tourists, Franco said.
She said CHWC members will have a study tour in Manila next month to talk with government agencies like DOT and the Department of Trade and Industry and hospitals discuss possible tie-ups.
Franco said one possible arrangement would have tourists undergo checkups and surgeries in Manila and recover in Cebu.
Meanwhile, Alice Queblatin, past president of Cebu Association of Tour Operators, said the CHWC will hold a seminar on Spa and Aromatherapy next month at Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort and Spa.
“This will spur the development of Cebu as wellness destination,” Queblatin said.
Franco said this is the first CHWC project with Shangri-La, Spa Professionals International Development Center and DTI.
“We hope to train spa owners or those planning to put spa centers so that they will be better equipped in operating a spa,” Queblatin said.
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