A new inequality? Privatisation, urban bias, migration and medical tourism.
Access to health care in developing countries, the main destinations of medical tourists, is notoriously uneven, and often becoming more so. Medical tourism, urban bias and privatisation have combined to exacerbate this trend. This is exemplified in both Thailand and India, where regional areas have been disadvantaged by the migration of health-care workers to hospitals focusing on medical tourism, neo-liberal national financial provision for medical tourism (and related tourism campaigns) and evidence of trickle-down gains is lacking. Medical tourism challenges rather than complements local health care providers, distorts national health care systems, and raises critical national economic, ethical and social questions.
University of Sydney, Australia.
John
J
Connell
D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D004989:Ethics / Q000266:history; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D057193:Medical Tourism / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D011332:Privatization / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012935:Social Justice / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors / Q000266:history; D013785:Thailand / Q000208:ethnology