Watch it happen: First-world medical professionals will use NDM-1 to discourage overseas medical tourism
Filed under: Australia
Topics covered : Medical Tourism, Panic!
And here it is: the medical tourism backlash. There were a fair amount of dissenters a few years ago, when prime-time media discovered the “trend” of perfectly normal Americans braving overseas hospitals in seek of discounted medical care. And, sure, there are risks associated with heading out-of-country for major surgery. But there are risks associated with getting surgery in your own backyard, too. How many stories have we seen about misplaced sponges, botched amputations and drunk doctors? Sorry, AMA, but standing on American soil doesn’t guarantee a steady hand and clear head.
That said, would I get a triple-bypass in Calcutta? Probably not. But you might eventually find me in Hungary getting some new chompers (if the flight’s cheap enough) or buying a new liver in China (it’s inevitable). Two years ago, I was more than happy to pay $5 for two x-rays (complete with diagnosis!) of my aching wrist in India.
All of which, naturally, threatens domestic first-world health care industries. For them, yesterday’s news that the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase superbug (aka NDM-1) had reached civilized shores couldn’t come at a better time. To start the campaign against medical tourism, we have this softball out of Australia:
WOMEN as young as 20 are travelling to developing countries for cut-price cosmetic procedures… Queensland Restored Beauty Getaways director Claire Licciardo said 26 Cairns women had travelled to Phuket this year for surgery. She said 50 per cent of those patients were aged between 20 to 28 with all receiving breast augmentation.
“There is a huge amount of interest especially with breast augmentation,” she said. ”Tummy tucks, liposuction, facelifts, dental work and eye surgery are also popular.”…
Cairns waitresses Chantal Lacoste and Tania Starr, who are both 19, said they were considering using their savings to fund a medical-tourism experience.
“I would quite like to get some work done and you can have a holiday while you’re there,” Ms Lacoste said.
But Cairns plastic surgeon Mark Vucak said he had treated 10 women over the past five years for botched overseas cosmetic surgery.
“I’ve seen a lot of patients come back from Thailand with poor surgery results … and there’s no recourse for them,” he said.
Mark my word — this is just the beginning. If (when!) NDM-1 reaches American soil, overseas hospitals will be demonized as germ-spreading shitholes filled with illiterate, negligent doctors.
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