THE THIRTY YEARS’ EXPERIENCE OF SURGICAL CARE TO FOREIGN PATIENTS IN STATE ORTHOPEDICS CLINIC

Abstract

The history of medical tourism counts several millennia. however, medical tourism became a wide-spread occurrence only to the end of XX century, in the age of globalization that favored drastic increasing of low budget mass tourism at the expense of development of Internet and accessibility of air flights. The purpose of study. To share experience of organization of planned medical care to foreign patients in conditions of state orthopedics clinic. During 1983-2016 in the Academician G.A. Ilizarov Russian Research Center «Restorative Traumatology and Orthopedics» 1304 foreign patients coming from 82 countries were treated. In the Ilizarov Center, to resolve all paramedical issues related to stay of foreign patients, an international department is functioning since July 14 1988, organized on the basis of a group accomplishing organization of scientific technical cooperation. The major tasks of the international department are organization and promotion of development of international relationships of the Center. The international department is a unique section having no analogues in other federal health care institutions. The experience of the Ilizarov Center in rendering orthopedic care to foreign citizen is a leading one for Russia. The main factor determining attractiveness of the Center to foreigners is a uniqueness of technology of Ilizarov transosseous osteosynthesis in combination with enormous experience in treatment of orthopedic pathology. Conclusions. The medical tourism becomes one of major sections of modern global economics. The amelioration of quality and accessibility of high-tech medical care under dedicated state policy, legislation, community and mass media support can at least to shorten withdrawal of funds from our country and support one's own centers of competence.