QWANZ

Though healthcare continues to be a part of heated discussions in the country, there's a phenomenon that's slowly gaining headway around the world. Medical tourism is when patients seek surgery or other medical procedures elsewhere. This would range from life-saving experiments to reproductive outsourcing to elective surgeries such as cosmetic or plastic surgery. Usually done to save money, hide from the public, or even to try methods unavailable or unsanctioned at home, this marrying of...  Read more

Though healthcare continues to be a part of heated discussions in the country, there's a phenomenon that's slowly gaining headway around the world. Medical tourism is when patients seek surgery or other medical procedures elsewhere. This would range from life-saving experiments to reproductive outsourcing to elective surgeries such as cosmetic or plastic surgery. Usually done to save money, hide from the public, or even to try methods unavailable or unsanctioned at home, this marrying of industries has been met with mixed feelings.



Similar to the glamorization of cosmetic surgery done by extreme makeover programs and other reality shows whose stars have gone under the knife, the protests regarding the phenomenon are rooted in a fear for safety. As standards differ throughout the world, horror stories of botched plastic surgery seem part of travel advisories. Some sound like medical miracles, undiscovered herbal cure-alsl or perhaps a new way of eliminating fat from the body are part of the spun stories. Don't they sound like urban legends of stolen kidneys or plastic surgeries ending with insect infestations? Though it must be argued that many of the countries that enjoy the revenues of global healthcare do have competent medical professionals and facilities. And waiting for your nth cosmetic surgery to heal while basking in the tropical sun doesn't seem bad—it actually seems like a summer special for The Real Housewives of New Jersey