SINGAPORE - A private hospital in Singapore slashed prices for a slew of common operations Friday as part of city-state's drive to lure tourists and expatriates seeking inexpensive health care.
So-called medical tourism has boomed in recent years, especially in neighboring Malaysia and Thailand, with foreign patients traveling both for those nations' famed beaches and routine medical procedures that are often cheaper than in their home countries.
Singapore is seeking to step up its challenge for the increasingly lucrative market, and the government has set itself the target of attracting up to 1 million overseas patients by 2012.
The private 380-bed Raffles Hospital is hoping to treat up to 300,000 foreign patients a year by then, said Dr. Loo Choon Yong, executive chairman of the Raffles Medical Group, one of Singapore's top health care providers.
Loo said Raffles was offering prices that are competitive and comparable to the Thai hospitals at a news conference to launch the hospital's new campaign.
He also said Singapore's reputation for being squeaky clean was well-deserved.
We can you guarantee you, when you take blood from our blood bank in Singapore it is safe, 100 percent safe, Loo added. We can also assure you in Singapore, the level of training and professionalism is among the best in the world.
