Introduction to medical tourism:

Medical tourism is a positively evolving segment of the healthcare sector. This crucial segment has flourished over the years which has both directly and indirectly helped several patients along with medical professionals at the same time. It is because of the evolvements in the medical tourism sector that the healthcare industry has achieved a series of milestones. In today's time, the healthcare facilities available at some of the top hospitals and healthcare centres are improving at a qualitative and quantitative level. Patient mobility is occurring at a speedy rate, all thanks to the services provided to patients across the world under the concept of medical tourism. This has ensured that patients do not have to depend on the local or inter-state medical centres for the recommended medical treatments. (Source:What is Tourism?) One of the interesting facts about medical tourism is that it is expected to grow manifold and turn itself into a multibillion-dollar phenomenon. This is one of the most significant and appreciating aspects of medical tourism which needs to be focused and encouraged to bring the benefits of the medical tourism in front of a large number of patients who are seeking medical facilities and treatments in other countries who are offering such treatments at the lowest prices and best quality. There are different segments of medical tourism which need to be focused on from time to time to track the progress of the infertility medicine field in a respective country. The medical tourism is controlled and functioned based on certain factors which have their significance in the growth of this segment. You will get to know more about these crucial factors in one of the sections given below.

Growth of medical tourism in Indonesia:

Medical tourism is taking a new shape in each of the countries across the world. This has successfully contributed to the overall improvement in the healthcare industry as well. Medical tourism is now considered as a major factor which will help in improving the healthcare industry and bring in positive changes in the medical treatments as well. Patients now make wise decisions when choosing the right medical treatment for their respective diagnosed medical condition in the chosen medical centre. Their decisions related to obtaining the best medical treatment is based on several crucial factors which have their significance. The government of Indonesia is working their level best to make sure that the current scenario of remoteness among the local individuals is dealt in the best possible manner thus providing them with the required medical treatments in the quality medical centres. The medical specialties which are in great demand among patients include cosmetic surgery, dentistry, cardiac surgeries, orthopedic surgeries, and organ transplantation procedures. (Source:Indonesia's Failing Healthcare Industry and How Medical Tourism can help) Each of these medical specialties has their own significant growth rate which has helped hospitals and medical centres to a great extent. One of the highlighting points which revolve around the medical tourism sector growth in Indonesia is that of the availability of first-class spa treatments and vacation destinations. Patients visiting the hospitals and medical centres in the cities of Indonesia are highly attracted to these two destinations across the country. Another interesting fact about undergoing medical treatments in Indonesia is that there are several healthcare organizations, clinics, medical centres, and hospitals which contribute to the rise of the medical tourism sector in the country of Indonesia. The Secretary of Tourism ministry in Indonesia, Ukus Kuswara states that building and improving the medical tourism sector is one of the prime responsibilities of the healthcare officials of the country. The potential of medical tourism is very promising when taken into consideration. Healthcare officials and related organizations are working their level best to bring this potential into a reality. This is because the individuals in the country itself are traveling to other countries for their infertility treatments. Ukus has mentioned this to highlight the increasing numbers of Indonesian couples who are traveling to other countries for their infertility treatments and achieve the best results. (Source:Tourism and Health Ministries to develop medical tourism in Indonesia)

Factors of growth of medical tourism in Indonesia:

When the infertility experts talk about growth of medical tourism in Indonesia, then certain important contributing factors get highlighted from time to time. Such factors stay highlighted since the time, the field of medical tourism has come into existence. Medical experts have opinionated that the progression of the healthcare industry to heights will be significantly fueled with the help of the rise of medical tourism. One of the important growth factors which are aiding to the growth of medical tourism in Indonesia is the increase in the competition among the medical tourist destinations. The healthcare officials and authorities responsible for the different segments of the healthcare industry ensure that the growth-contributing factors are polished and improved enough in such a way that the overall medical tourism segment achieves further milestones in serving patients. Every patient wants to go for the most affordable medical treatment including the treatment and other expenses associated with the procedure of the patient. (Source:Indonesia's Falling Healthcare Industry and How Medical Tourism can help) The government of Indonesia is making the best possible efforts to make sure that the treatment cost of the medical procedures becomes affordable for patients traveling from other countries to the cities of Indonesia. This not only helps in the successful treatment of the patients at the best possible prices, but it also ensures that the patients receive the desired results with the chosen treatments well on time. Patients are encouraged to get treated in other countries under the concept of medical tourism due to two major factors. One is the availability of budget-friendly medical treatment services. The other significant reason is that of the restrictions associated with the required medical treatment in their home country. Some countries strictly prohibit the practice of some of the advanced infertility treatments such as IVF.Medical tourism has helped in bridging the gap between patients and treatments available in the top medical centres in other countries. Healthcare organizations are enthusiastic about providing patients from different parts of the world with the best quality treatments. The cost of traveling to other countries has also significantly become affordable for patients who are planning to have babies after going to a recommended hospital and medical centre in the respective city of Indonesia. (Source:What is Medical Tourism?)

Reproductive Tourism in Indonesia:

Reproductive Tourism forms a significant part of the medical tourism segment in the healthcare industry. The reproductive tourism sector has efficiently contributed to the overall growth of the field of medical tourism in Indonesia. The health ministry and some of the top healthcare organizations are working towards bringing in more positive changes in the medical tourism sector. Couples are often guided with the right type of medical treatment especially that of reproductive treatments. Such procedures contribute to the successful occurrence of pregnancy in couples. The couples who are stressed out due to lack of conception can reap the benefits of the unique features of the reproductive tourism sector in Indonesia. Reproductive tourism is evolving at an appreciating rate to ensure that patients struggling with infertility issues receive the required medical treatments in the field of reproductive medicine. The demand for the infertility treatments is on the rise even among the couples who are based in the cities of Indonesia. Along with this, couples or individuals who are willing to start their families can reap benefits of the advanced healthcare facilities available at the top infertility centres and clinics registered to provide infertility treatments for the welfare of the patients. (Source:Indonesian infertility patients health seeking behavior and patterns of access to biomedical infertility care)

Why choose Indonesia for infertility treatments?

Infertility treatments form a crucial part of reproductive tourism in the country of Indonesia. This Asia-Pacific country has worked its level best to make sure that couples diagnosed with infertility issues can receive quality treatment associated with a proper prognosis of the condition. When a couple opts for fertility treatment, then there are different measures and factors which are taken into consideration at the time of finalizing of the infertility treatments and centre for the same. Infertility treatments performed at the top infertility centres, clinics, and hospitals are focused on achieving the highest possible success rates. Indonesia has a dedicated board of medical professionals who are focused in providing the best quality treatments in the field of infertility medicine. This organization is known as the Indonesian Association for In Vitro Fertilization (IAIVF). This organization was found in the year 2009 on March 13 in the location of Jakarta. The mission of the IAIVF is to set systematic guidelines associated with IVF procedures. Along with this, the healthcare professionals are planning and taking the best measures to improve the pricing structure and availability of the infertility treatments especially that of IVF procedures to patients coming to Indonesia. Presently, there are several members associated with IA-IVF. This includes 23 IVF units along with 105 medical professionals who have appreciating work experience in the field of infertility medicine. (Source:IAIVF About Us) This ensures that the patients visiting the infertility centres and clinics receive the required infertility diagnosis, surgeries, and treatments at the best possible prices. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the patients receive the desired treatment results in the form of a successful pregnancy.

Present scenario of medical tourism in Indonesia:

Indonesia has seen some of the significant growth in the medical tourism sector in recent years. As per the current statistics published by one of the most renowned online publications, Indonesia had an average 7.19% increase in the number of tourists visiting the country for medical treatments. One of the interesting facts about medical tourism in Indonesia is that the ministry officials of Indonesia expect to see a rise in the contribution of the tourism sector in a significant portion. This is expected to rise from 9% to 15% in the span of 2014 to the year 2019. (Source:Indonesia's Tourism Industry) To make sure that the respective idea turns into a successful plan and executed in the best possible manner. The healthcare officials are moving ahead with the plan and making sure that other medical facilities oriented cities in the country of Indonesia are also developed to bring more number of tourists in the country. This is expected to increase the financial contribution of medical tourism in Indonesia. Not only international patients, but also the usage of the medical services by locals of different cities of Indonesia are expected to rise in recent years. The ministry of healthcare in Indonesia has set a budget for the promotion of the facilities and treatment services provided by the top hospitals and clinics in the prime cities of Indonesia. Experts have predicted that the estimated number of potential tourists expected to visit the country of Indonesia is 1.3 billion in the present year. The reasons for the visit vary from one individual to another. Some of the hot cities in Indonesia which are in focus for offering the healthcare services to local and international patients are Yogyakarta, Medan, and Makassar which are present in Central Java, North Sumatra, and South Sulawesi respectively. These top cities are in current focus of the healthcare officials who are working towards best possible improvement of the medical tourism sector of Indonesia. In the year 2017, medical tourism cooperation was held in between two prime authorities. This was held between the Tourism Ministry along with Health Ministry of Indonesia. This partnership was successfully held at the Tourism National Coordination Meeting III on September 26th to 27th in the same year. This medical cooperation proved to be useful for patients visiting the country of Indonesia for their infertility treatments. The main aim of this partnership is to ensure that the program is coordinated properly with harmonization and timely development takes place. Not only this, the program also aims to educate local individuals with basic healthcare information and medical tourist destination services. The top professionals and healthcare authorities are making certain plans to take the medical facilities and treatments to the next level i.e. across different parts of the world. This will ensure that the medical centres, hospitals, and clinics successfully compete with counterparts in other countries. Such ventures will not only help the local residents but also the patients who are traveling to Indonesia for the recommended medical treatments. Medical tourism sector comprises of several valuable aspects which are in focus of the officials serving the healthcare sector. (Source: Indonesia to Explore Medical Tourism Potential)

Infertility treatments in Indonesia:

Indonesia is one of the top South-Asian countries which is working towards improving the medical treatments offered in the field of infertility medicine. Indonesia is coming up with certain specific strategies thanks to the innovative plans which are planned and implemented for the benefit of the patients traveling to other countries for their respective infertility procedures and surgeries. Several infertility treatments are starting from the basic to the most advanced ones. Often some of the latest types of additional treatments are also performed to bring out the required success rates for each of infertility cases. Here are the top infertility treatments which are in demand in the recent times and recommended by infertility specialists practicing at the best infertility centres in Indonesia.

IUI: IUI which is also known as Intrauterine Insemination is one of the basic types of infertility treatments recommended and performed in the country of Indonesia. IUI has helped several couples in Indonesia and abroad to have their babies successfully. IUI procedures are performed under the guidance of IUI experts who are well-trained and highly experienced in performing these infertility treatments. The infertility experts and medical specialists practicing at the top infertility centres and hospitals ensure that the patients visiting the centres receive the right type of infertility treatments for their diagnosed infertility issues.

IUI which is also known as Intrauterine Insemination is one of the basic types of infertility treatments recommended and performed in the country of Indonesia. IUI has helped several couples in Indonesia and abroad to have their babies successfully. IUI procedures are performed under the guidance of IUI experts who are well-trained and highly experienced in performing these infertility treatments. The infertility experts and medical specialists practicing at the top infertility centres and hospitals ensure that the patients visiting the centres receive the right type of infertility treatments for their diagnosed infertility issues. IVF: IVF procedures which are also known as In Vitro Fertilization forms one of the most promising infertility treatments in recent years across different parts of the world. Indonesia has achieved several milestones in terms of IVF babies. You will be surprised to know that the first triplets in the country of Indonesia were born in the year 1989 in March on 27th of the month. Within the next few months, the first twin babies were born in August in the same year. This is one of the biggest achievements in Indonesian infertility treatments. The first IVF program which was introduced in Indonesia is known as "Melati". The first IVF procedure was performed at the Harapan Kita Children Maternal Hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia in the year 1987. The infertility experts practicing at this hospital got the idea of launching an IVF program for the benefit of the infertile couples struggling to see the happiness of parenthood. (Source:IAIVF About Us) This program is aimed to offer patients with the quality IVF treatments to ensure the successful conception of the baby. The first pair of twins who were conceived with IVF ICSI procedure were born on April 10th, 1996. This was one of the significant achievements in the field of infertility medicine in the entire country of Infertility Medicine. The infertility specialists who are presently serving in the top fertility centres in Indonesia have specialized in performing In Vitro Fertilization procedures to an appreciable extent.

IVF procedures which are also known as In Vitro Fertilization forms one of the most promising infertility treatments in recent years across different parts of the world. Indonesia has achieved several milestones in terms of IVF babies. You will be surprised to know that the first triplets in the country of Indonesia were born in the year 1989 in March on 27th of the month. Within the next few months, the first twin babies were born in August in the same year. This is one of the biggest achievements in Indonesian infertility treatments. The first IVF program which was introduced in Indonesia is known as "Melati". The first IVF procedure was performed at the Harapan Kita Children Maternal Hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia in the year 1987. The infertility experts practicing at this hospital got the idea of launching an IVF program for the benefit of the infertile couples struggling to see the happiness of parenthood. (Source:IAIVF About Us) This program is aimed to offer patients with the quality IVF treatments to ensure the successful conception of the baby. The first pair of twins who were conceived with IVF ICSI procedure were born on April 10th, 1996. This was one of the significant achievements in the field of infertility medicine in the entire country of Infertility Medicine. The infertility specialists who are presently serving in the top fertility centres in Indonesia have specialized in performing In Vitro Fertilization procedures to an appreciable extent. Pregnancy care: Pregnancy care forms a crucial part of the pregnancy tenure months and pregnant women need to take proper measures to make sure that they take proper care of themselves and their babies during the entire time. As per the latest statistics published by the World Bank collection associated with the development indicators, it is revealed that 95.4% of pregnant women receive timely and good quality pregnancy care during their pregnancy months. (Source:Indonesia - Pregnant Women receiving Prenatal Care) One of the surprising facts which are released by the World Health Organization (WHO) is that only half of the pregnant population across the world receive four recommended antenatal appointments during their pregnancy months. (Source:Only half of women worldwide receive the recommended amount of care during pregnancy) In this way, pregnancy care has taken a crucial spot in the list of the medical treatments especially that of infertility procedures. Couples need to plan according to their priorities and go ahead with the infertility treatments. Pregnancy is a valuable phase in the life of pregnant women. The family members need to take proper care of pregnant women.

Tips for traveling to Indonesia for medical treatments:

Most of the couples who are planning for infertility treatments and surgeries need to make sure that they choose the right infertility specialist and centre. Indonesia is a developing Asian nation which is improving its healthcare services for the welfare of not only the locals but also the international patients. Fertility experts and travel experts have come up with certain tips and tricks which will help patients during their infertility treatment journey in the country of Indonesia. Most of the patients face challenges when traveling to other countries and visiting overseas hospital for their infertility surgeries and hospitals.

The first step for ensuring that the medical journeys for infertility treatments is a successful one is to make sure that you carry the required medical documents to the respective country.

Traveling to a new country for medical treatments might lead to chances that patients are vulnerable to certain specific disorders and medical conditions. This makes it important for patients to get their vaccinations checked from time to time at least before 3 months of visiting the respective hospital for infertility treatments. Also, you need to take proper precautions related to the hygiene status of yourself and bring it to the next level to prevent any occurrence of the medical treatments. Along with this, you also need to understand about food and water safety protocols in the respective country.

Although you are traveling for medical treatments to a new country, it is important to keep a check on the travel documents associated with the respective journey. Passports and travel insurance certificates form significant components of the travel documents which need to be kept alongside during the entire treatment journey.

Patients need to make sure that refund proofs, medical reports, correspondence from medical practitioners who are registered with the respective country's medical organization holding the authority.

Before visiting the respective country, patients need to make sure that the payment structure of the respective medical procedures are discussed and finalized before reaching to the respective country. Patients are advised to take the assistance of the medical organizations who are dedicated to serving medical tourists from time to time concerning the medical treatments especially the major ones such as infertility treatments and cosmetic procedures, to name a few.

Every individual has his health status and issues which need to be addressed at the right point time especially before starting with the journey for medical treatments and surgeries to any of the cities in Indonesia.

How to plan for medical treatments in Indonesia?

Patients often need to plan in the best possible manner about their medical treatments in foreign countries. This can be done with the aid of medical experts in the respective specialities of medicine. Couples who are opting for infertility treatments must ensure that they take assistance from an authorized healthcare platform. Ela works on the mission to help couples have a smooth treatment journey in the field of infertility medicine. Here is the treatment plan which is executed in a pre-decided manner to ensure that patients have a peaceful treatment in the chosen infertility centre.