Since the 1980′s, medical tourism is a particularly flourishing sector worthing $60 billion, according to a study from Deloitte, 4 per cent of the whole touristic market in 2008.

But the recent political turmoil affecting also Jordan¹ has a direct impact on this sector. According to the chairman of Private Hospital Association in Jordan, Dr. Fawzi Hammouri, there is an alarming decrease of patients from Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Bahrain and Syria, which traditionally constitute the main streams for jordanian medical tourism. Will the mediterranean medical tourism become an insecure and risky market?

Overview of the Medical Tourism

Medical tourism consists in travelling across international borders to obtain health care for less cost² or better quality. Even if this phenomenon is old, the market became really lucrative since the 80s due to transport progress and time to travel.

Furthermore Internet enhanced competitive areas like Asia or MENA. For the Medical Tourism Association, 49% of patients find out about medical tourism with Internet and 73% research more information about opportunities on the Net.

Nonetheless, if Jordan has launched communication campaigns to reach US medical tourists (they represent 25 per cent of “health tourists” in the world according to Deloitte survey), the jordanian medical tourism remains a regional market -which is highly dependent on the regional political stability. Tunisia, contrary to the accepted wisdom, is also a regional market according to Marc Lautier study published in Social Science & Medicine in July 2008: 81 per cent of health care exportations come from Libya.

The Jordanian Medical Hub

In summer, a good many Saudi are looking for a breath of freshness in Jordan. On the roads between KSA and Jordan, their powerful four wheels follow closely to Amman, in the foothills of the Jordan Valley. The Jordan medical reputation is well-known. In the 1970′s, a lot of exogenous patients are flooding into the private hospitals. In Djebel Amman, near the 3rd Circle, the entire area is dedicated to medicine. In every corner, there is a specialized hospital.

According to the World Bank, Jordan is the first regional medical hub and the 5st medical tourism destination in the world. In 2007, nearby 250.000 patients from 102 different countries generated $1 billion³. Jordan attractiveness is based on good structures and care of quality: 15,000 physicians, 2 MOH hospitals, 2 University Hospital in Irbid and Amman, and 11 Military Hospital. But the private sector is more competitive with 43 per cent of the whole beds (80% in Lebanon) and is seeking for the best international accreditations (Johns Hopkins, Joint Commission International Accreditation, International Accreditation Service, etc.) in order to gain in quality.

The Outlook: Instability & Competition

Highly dependent on exogenous and regional streams of patients, healthcare exportations of Jordan will probably suffer from the political instability. For the Private Hospitalization Association, in the International Medical Travel Journal, there is “a 90 % drop in Libyan patients, 60 % drop in Syrian patients, while Yemeni and Bahraini patients both witnessed 50 % declines”.

Furthermore, Jordan market is confronted with a strong competition from the emerging regional medical hubs in the Gulf. Indeed these countries which have paid in the past all the costs of health care (including medical tourism travels) now prefer to invest in hight quality care infrastructures. Several hospitals and private clinics just opened: in Mascate (Oman), the Starcare Hospital(Starcare Health Systems), in Dubai, a clinic dedicated to multiple sclerosis with the American Hospital, the extension and the modernization of Mubarak Hospital in Kuwait. In Saudi Arabia, 121 healhcare centers will open to reinforce the healthcare structure in 2011 with $19 billion according to Saudi Gazette. For the Khaleej Times, during 2011-2013, UAE want to enhance the development of healthcare centers and clinics with a $ 280 million plan.

And the foretold recession in the Arab world, sparing the oil-producing countries, will strongly reinforce the competition. What should scare Jordan.

For more information

• “Tourisme médical”, Cahier Espaces n°106, Editions Espaces tourisme & loisirs, September 2010
• “Mapping the market for medical travel”, McKinsey, May 2008
• Rapport annuel de la Medical Tourism Association, January 2010
• “Medical Tourism, Consumers in Search of Value”, Deloitte, 2008
• “Tourisme médical, nouvel eldorado des pays émergents ?”, Antoine Flahaut, September 2008.

1. In particular the public physicians on strike during several months [↩]
2. See the comparison costs realized by the Medical Tourism Association. [↩]
3. according to the Private Hospitalization Association of Jordan [↩]