The Philippine medical tourism industry can benefit from the growth of cosmetic surgery in the country. The growth of the cosmetic surgery industry in the Philippines was brought about by the quality and the cost of the cosmetic procedures in the country.

A new reality TV show- Marvels of Cosmetic Surgery has premiered in India last May 27.  The new TV series features Dr. Katsuya Takasu a cosmetic surgeon, performing surgery on himself.   The mini- series is composed of nine episodes aired twice a week every Wednesday and Thursday at 11PM on Care World TV.

A cosmetic surgery company in Colombia- Cosmetic Harmony- has recently launched its clinic cum hotel concept that will be functional in 2010. The facility will combine the clinic, hotel and spa experience for the total wellness of patients.

Aside from cosmetic surgery, Cosmetic Harmony is already in the business of medical appointments, travel, accommodations and personal assistant services. It is currently one of the top medical travel companies in Colombia, successfully combining health care and relaxation to provide clients the best medical experience in the country. The goal of the company is to merge the Cosmetic Harmony clinic and spa with a five-star hotel so that total wellness of the patients can be achieved. After undergoing surgery in Cosmetic Harmony, the patients can stay in the 5-star hotel while recuperating.

A university hospital in Seoul Korea is gearing up to attract more foreign patients in the coming years. The hospital, Chung- Ang University Medical Centre, aims to be among the top five medical facilities in South Korea under its new director Ha Kwon-Ick. The Doosan group which owns the hospital has hired the new director in 2008 to achieve its goal of improving its facilities in services. Before taking over the position of director at Chung-Ang, Kwon-Ic k had served in other top hospitals including the Samsung Medical Center and the Eulji Medical Center. The improvement of facilities and services support the hospital’s goal of promoting its world-class surgical services to foreign patients at affordable costs.

Chung-Ang University Medical Center specializes in cosmetic surgery and orthopedic surgery. The hospital currently has 556 beds but a new building will be built by the year 2011. The new building will be used for the treatment of brain diseases, thyroid cancer, stomach cancer and heart diseases. Chung-Ang University Medical Centre is a member of the Council for Korea Medicine Overseas Promotion. This group also aims to promote Korea as a major destination for medical tourism. With the efforts of the organization and the hospital, it is expected that more medical travelers will go to the hospital to receive medical treatment.

Have you ever thought of going to Korea for medical travel?  Can Korea become the next Brazil when it come to cosmetic medical tourism?