May 14, 2012

Since the end of the Qaddafi regime, we have been witnessing a massive medical tourism scam from Libya to Turkey.

The decision by the Libyan government to pay for the entire medical care of those hurt during the uprising is the cause for this massive looting of state funds.

With this decision, Libyan citizens can be treated at any hospital of their choice. All they have to do is send the bill to the Libyan embassy in Ankara or the Libyan consulate in Istanbul. Medical tourism has become a lucrative business, and there are now “medical tours” from Libya to Istanbul, Ankara and Adana.

Private hospitals have been overrun by people saying, “I want to be like that actress,” “I don’t like my nose,” or “My teeth are ugly, I want porcelain veneers.” The number of people seeking medical attention jumped from 4,000 to 11,000.

The controversy also involved some doctors who intentionally exaggerated their diagnoses, such as turning a simple follicle inflammation into a case that required a heart transplant. Their part of the scam was exposed by other doctors who respect the Hippocratic Oath and treat simple problems without surgery. The embassy also noted wild discrepancies between astronomical medical bills for the same procedures.