United Holidays promotes medical tourism

Shirajiv Sirimanne in London

Medical tourism will be introduced to Sri Lanka for the first time as a joint venture between a leading hospital in England and Durdens Hospital.

Director United Holidays, Asgar Mohideen said this programme would come into effect from January 2008 and over 30 have been included for the first batch.

Special surgeons would be flown to Colombo to perform surgery.

He said they would be first concentrating on cardiac surgery and then move on to orthopaedic surgery.

The patients would be scanned and diagnosed in London hospital and then they flown to Sri Lanka with their spouses.

After the surgery, the patient would be transferred to London where he would be monitored by the London hospital.

He said this would bring in additional revenue to the country as the system is far cheaper to the clients and they would also get a holiday.

Meanwhile, Chairman Tourism Authority, Renton de Alwis said the stake holders got a good deal and exposure at the WTM.

“This is because we planned the event well in advance. Everybody is upbeat about the event,” he said.

“The WTM which concluded yesterday also gave a boost and exposure to the local leisure industry and the promotions made at the WTM would have a far reaching positive impacts for the near future.

Chairman of Connaissance Group (Amaya) Chandra Wickramasinghe also endorsed this and said it was better than last year’s event.