Private hospitals in Jalisco Mexico are gearing up for medical tourists as they expect more US Citizens to travel to the country for medical treatments. The state government of Jalisco said it would invest up to 4.35 million pesos on the medical industry in Jalisco to make the private hospitals in the area to be up to the standards to qualify them for certifications under the Joint Commission International (JCI).

The Prince Court Medical Centre, located in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia received its accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI) last December. It is the second hospital to receive such accreditation from the organization.

The first hospital in Malaysia to receive the JCI accreditation is the Penang Adventist Hospital Jalan Burma. Four more Malaysian Hospitals are in the process of applying for JCI accreditation.

Opthalmologists at the last All Indian Opthalmological Conference (AIOC) held in Jaipur, India, last February 5-8, discussed the need to improve hospital standards in the country to attract more medical tourists from developed nations. While India is considered one of the more attractive nations by patients for medical tourism, most of the patients who undergo medical treatment in India still come from developing nations.

The participants in the conference discussed how improving hospital standards in India would attract more foreign patients from the West to seek treatments and healthcare in  the country. Raising the standards of medical facilities in India involves not just improving medical treatments and facilities but also acquiring international standard certifications. International certifications such as the certification by the Joint Commission International (JCI) boosts the reputation of a medical facility.

As part of the discussion, a proposal was made regarding the creation of a special group that will coordinate with opthalmological organizations from other countries for possible exchange programs of professionals and students from the field.

The conference held at the Birla Auditorium was attended by more than 6,000 opthalmologists and eye specialists from India and other countries. The conference focuses on the current status, the developments and the challenges that the industry faces.