The Dominican Republic’s health offering to the world
2 minutes read
- Dental tourists mainly seek treatments related to dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, invisible orthodontics and technology such as 3D printing and pain-free procedures.
Santo Domingo, November.- The Dominican Republic has established itself as the leading health tourism destination in the Caribbean region, but many people don’t know that the segment leading this attractive niche market is dentistry.
This was clearly shown at the 6th International Congress on Health and Wellness Tourism, where the sector’s statistics were presented and an interesting panel was held titled “The Dominican health offering to the world”.
This expert discussion was moderated by the renowned ophthalmologist Dr. Arnaldo Espaillat and featured Dr. Virginia Laureano, president of the Dominican College of Dentists (CDO); Dr. Sergio Guzmán, president of the Dominican Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (SODOCIPRE); Dr. Héctor Sánchez Navarro, a renowned robotic surgeon; and engineer Carlos Prato, investor and president of Hospital IMG.
Dr. Laureano revealed that in 2022 the country saw more than 179,000 international dental patients who spent an average of more than 5,000 dollars per case, bringing significant economic benefits to the country.
For his part, Dr. Sergio Guzmán, president of SODOCIPRE, revealed that plastic surgery procedures were performed on more than 40,000 international patients as medical tourists in 2022, with favourable growth expected for 2023.
Dr. Sánchez Navarro and engineer Carlos Prato said that for a healthcare centre to stand out internationally it needs planning, investment in technology, training and international accreditation, a focus on protocols, quality and safety, differentiating factors and a good communication strategy.
They all concluded that, in addition to these private efforts, it is essential for the government and the Ministry of Tourism to encourage and invest in promoting health and wellness tourism internationally.
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