Panama to compete for "medical tourists"
Panama is trying to open its doors to a new class of tourists, those seeking a check up when they check in.
According to Jaime Cornejo, director of the master planning process for the Instituto Panameño de Turismo (Ipat), medical tourism is expected to be a significant part of the document.
Robin Elsham, director of Patients With Passports, a company that offers package tours for medical tourists, said he has recently visited Panama to finalize agreements with local hospitals which would include Panama within its range of destinations. For Elsham, one of the advantages of Panama is the large number of doctors and surgeons who speak English and have been trained in the United States. Other factors are the proximity to the United States and the use of the U.S. dollar.
