Medical Tourism in Panama for foreign retired citizens

Panama begins to explore the medical tourism like an attractive element for the visitors. One is an activity that already is being developed in order to promote to the country as a new offering destiny of conjugated medical services with the tourist activity, mainly for the segment of rejoiced of the United States with high spending power. "We considered that Panama must find conditions that allow us to the tourism to be an alternative of added value and to manage to be more competitive", Jaime Campuzano says, president of the Camera of Tourism of Panama. In agreement with the expert, Panama begins in this line of the tourism, being adopted North American medical technology that, stops most of the Latin American citizens is reliable. Campuzano explained that "the country counts on the facilities, the technology and professionals and this will allow to attract more visitors, mainly of the United States. This activity will increase the tourism, since he is something novel that is taking height in the region ".

Also the manager of the Hotel the Panama, emphasized that the idea is to obtain that an endless number of North American medical benefits is offered in Panama to increase the visits of American retired citizens to the country, since many count on a high spending power that allows them to make important investments in residential tourism, businesses or recreation. The subject of the medical tourism also was treated by recognized journalist Andrés Oppenheimer, who was recently in Panama to dictate the conference "Central America, a flirting with the foreign investment". In agreement with Oppenheimer, if Panama accepted all the medical insurance policies of 5 or 10 hospitals in the United States would generate tranquillity and security to the visitors, who watch Panama as second residence, to visit or to make tourism.

The international expert emphasized that in next the two or three years, the United States and Europe will reach around 200 thousand retired ones and to catch that market, in medical facilities, although is a minimum percentage, will create a positive impact to the industry of the Panamanian tourism. The strengths of the isthmus for this commerce are in the geographic position, the tourist height, accessible hospitable costs and the use of technology outpost. The Free Trade Agreement between Panama and the United States will impel east sector since the medical specialties are a high potential for the foreign investments, assure the experts. In Panama already important medical infrastructure investments have been made like the one of Pacific End that had a cost of 40 million dollars. The hospital counts in addition on the endorsement to Johns Hopkins Medicine, one of the most prestigious hospitals of the United States. Recently, representatives of the American military visited Panama in search of attractive medical plans for their clients. Panama is characterized to by counting on high technological innovations and low medical costs.