ABHA: Rehabilitation centers and health resorts are an important part of modern health care in the developed world. These facilities, in which a variety of therapies and techniques are used, help patients return to society after they have regained the natural balance not only of their body, but of their minds and spirit as well.
In today's world naturopathy is ever getting more popular. It is a holistic system that relies exclusively on the resources of nature and the body's own healing abilities. It empowers patients to make the necessary lifestyle changes to lead a healthy life.
A number of experts spoke to Al-Riyadh newspaper about the progress alternative medicine and health tourism have made. They suggested using the hitherto vast untapped potential to attract health tourists to the Kingdom.
Ahmad Al-Sheikh, director general of programs at the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA), said that the commission has already organized a number of workshops and seminars for medical centers in Jeddah and Riyadh. Together with tour operators they wanted to explore how to promote health tourism for citizens as well as foreigners.
"It is a cooperation between the SCTA, the Ministry of Health and the National Health Committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry. We have already seen a remarkable growth in the Kingdom's health care field, so we are highly aware of the potential that health tourism has," he said.
According to the SCTA, health tourism was an SR800 million industry in the Kingdom last year, with half of that amount coming from non-Saudis.
Dr. Nashwa Taher, chairman of the strategic committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that qualified employees are vital for health and rehabilitation centers. "The environment is tough for the industry in the Kingdom. We need qualified staff. That means we need to bring in experts from abroad to train young Saudi women, so that we can offer competitive service," she said.
Saleh Al-Nafeesi, a psychology consultant, said that there were barely any hospitals with top-quality services or facilities for foreigners in the Kingdom. "There is no medical awareness among operators of such hospitals to play an active role in convalescence, and this incapacitates their role in enabling the patients to return to their normal life after regaining their physical and mental health, he said.
"A major portion of Saudi society, especially the Ministry of Health and business community, are not all aware of playing their supposedly significant role in promoting homeopathic and rehabilitation health care facilities and centers inside the Kingdom. This prompts many people to go abroad in pursuit of better health tourism facilities," he said while noting that Saudi Arabia's vast potential in this field continued to remain untapped. On the other hand, several countries were successful in tapping their resources in the health tourism field and they managed to attract huge number of foreigners to receive the treatment and therapy.
Dr. Sami Al-Abdul Karim, head of the National Health Committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that there are rare medical specializations and services in various health fields in the Kingdom. "The basic thing is how to exploit the vast resources available in the Kingdom. The private hospitals and medical centers in the Kingdom have achieved remarkable growth and they are offering the top quality of services. These facilities can also play a vital role in promoting health tourism," he said.
Dr. Abdul Karim highlighted the significance of promoting health tourism through offering the high quality services to both tourists and citizens. Marketing this type of treatment would lure various sections of people and thus making the treatment cheaper, benefiting the citizens, he said.
Dr. Abdul Karim noted that a working team, comprising members of the National Health Committee at the Saudi Council of Chambers, SCTA and Ministry of Health has been constituted. "The committee is striving hard to promote health and healing tourism through various ways, including carrying out studies about the volume of demand for the industry at the domestic and foreign market, and working with partners in the government and private sectors to develop the industry, in addition to upgrade the criteria and procedures to promote health tourism at hospitals, health centers and tourism resorts.
Dr. Abdul Karim underscored the significance of working out tourism programs in marketing health tourism as well as in promoting the capabilities of tour operators besides encouraging them to plan and market various types of tourism packages. Referring to the hurdles faced by the industry, he said that lack of sufficient funding to this industry is the major handicap. There have also been no incentives for investment in most of the natural tourism resorts in various parts of the Kingdom. He cited some other problems, such as difficulties in getting tourist visas, lack of marketing programs and scope for marketing for some hospitals and specialized centers, and lack of facilities to accommodate patients. "However, there is still ray of hope in the field and this was obvious from the huge demand for health tourism on the domestic front, in addition to availability of local fund for making investments in the field.
Dr. Abdul Karim noted that Saudi Arabia is facing stiff competition in this field from some of the neighboring countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and the UAE. He also highlighted the commendable efforts and services being made by the National Health Committee at the Saudi Council of Chambers in promoting health tourism.
These included collecting data, studies and researches with regard to health tourism and doing their follow up work, drafting local and international specifications and criteria for health tourism services, implementing regulations to ensure quality of health tourism resorts, organizing health tourism conferences, seminars and exhibitions, acquainting tourists with the health tourism facilities available in the Kingdom, in addition to extending support to health tourism operators as part of marketing the industry.
© Arab News 2011
