Thailand sees growing influx of patients from Bangladesh
Bangladeshi patients searching for better healthcare than that available at home are increasingly travelling to Thailand instead of India as the neighbouring country is limiting visa issuances for Bangladeshi nationals.
Besides, the compassionate attitudes shown by hospital staff in Thailand coupled with its easy e-visa application process are propelling the influx of patients from Bangladesh to the east Asian nation.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. A study on the "healthcare quality of Bangladesh and outbound medical travel to Thailand" showed that local patients have a positive perception about medical services in Thailand, making it a preferred choice for seeking treatment.
The study was conducted by Muhammad Mahboob Ali, a professor of economics at the University of Dhaka, and Dr Anita Medhekar, a senior lecturer in economics at Central Queensland University in Australia.
They said the main driver behind peoples' preference towards Thailand for medical tourism is their belief that the country offers comparatively higher quality treatment facilities.
According to agencies that facilitate visas as well as those that arrange appointments at foreign hospitals, the number of Bangladeshis seeking medical visas for Thailand increased by roughly 40 percent over the past two-three months.
For 42-year-old Sabina Akter, who is battling kidney disease, hope was momentarily extinguished when her visa to India was denied. Yet, her determination to seek life-saving care led her to an alternative destination in Bangkok.
Akter said she was fully supported by Thai Medicure, an authorised referral partner for some of the top hospitals of Thailand, in obtaining a visa and scheduling a doctor's consultation.
Akter informed that she had travelled to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, to receive treatment advice from a kidney disease specialist at Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital.
And although treatment costs in the country were a little higher than that of even the best private hospitals in Bangladesh, Akter noted that the staff's diligence and quality of care provided are worth it.
As such, patients like Akter are discovering that medical facilities like Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital and Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok offer not only advanced treatment, but also compassion and efficiency.
The same was echoed by one Labiba, whose relative had recently travelled to Bangkok for medical care after failing to obtain a visa for India.
Based on their experience, Labiba said that although treatment costs in Thailand are marginally higher than in Bangladesh, it is still a better option for Bangladeshi patients seeking better care.
"Since September, about 30 percent more patients wished to travel to Thailand for medical treatment," said Nazneen Akter Sristy, a senior executive at Thai Medicure's office in Dhaka.
Prior to August, they could process 20 patients' medical visas on average each month. But since October, that number has grown to approximately 25 to 30 per month, she added.
Sristy noted that in essence, critical patients in the country are primarily traveling to Thailand if they are otherwise unable to obtain an Indian visa.
She speculated that the Thai government may have realised this and made the visa process easier for Bangladeshi tourists and patients by introducing the e-visas.
Sristy also said those seeking visas for Thailand can now receive them through email within 10 days of their application.
"The embassy of Thailand in Dhaka does not typically deny visa applications unless the applicant does not provide valid documents or have enough money in their bank account," she added.
Istiak Ahmed Emon, executive (patient relations) at Thai Medi Xpress, the local partner for Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand, said the patient flow increased slightly over the past three-four months.
However, he declined to inform anything about the potential numbers.
Emon said he assumes that the flow of Bangladeshi patients to Thailand resulted from the announcement of India's restrictions in issuing visas for Bangladeshi people.
An official of Bumrungrad International Hospital said an average of 60 critical patients from Bangladesh were admitted to the facility each month since last October while the previous monthly average was about 40 critical patients.
"So, the arrival of patients from Bangladesh has increased by roughly 67 percent," they added.
The official said Bangladeshi patients usually prefer the Bumrungrad and Bangkok hospitals as they feel more at ease at these facilities thanks to the availability of a dedicated help desk.
Abdul Kaium, operations manager of Bangkok Hospital Bangladesh Office, said it is true that the pressure of visa processing recently rose significantly due to the growth in medical visa seekers.
He said they previously processed a maximum of 20 visas for medical purpose each month while it has now reached around 30 visas per month.
Kamrul Islam, general manager of US Bangla Airlines, said they realised that the number of traveller from Bangladesh to Thailand has increased significantly since December.
"For this reason, we have added two extra flights per week. Now, we operate nine flights per week," he said.
Meanwhile, credit card spending by Bangladeshi citizens in India plummeted in recent months while it is rising in Thailand and Singapore, according to data of the Bangladesh Bank.
Industry people say this trend is linked to India's limited visa issuance, which has reduced the number of Bangladeshi patients and tourists visiting the neighbouring country.
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