Controversies in tourism.

Chapter 6 (Page no: 73)

Controversies in medical tourism.

This chapter focuses on the medical tourism industry and some of the moral and ethical controversies that underlie the growth of this industry. It also determines what categories of controversies are well covered and which areas still need more research. After reviewing most of the academic literature on controversies in medical tourism, it is indicated that there are several 'themes' that continue to come up frequently. They are as follows: (i) the possibility of healthcare access becoming differentiated by economic ability; (ii) the issue of the utilization of local resources by foreign nationals (thus limiting local access to care); (iii) legal issues surrounding the situation of services offered in one country that may not be allowable or ethically appropriate in the patient's home country; (iv) the possibility that medical tourism represents lesser care for medical travellers; (v) the increasing emphasis on healthcare as a business (which is exaggerated by medical tourism); and (vi) the sustainability of international healthcare flows and trends (such as the brain drain of personnel that occurs partially as a result of the sector).

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