Singapore's health care industry has become well-known because of a number of groundbreaking medical procedures.
- In 1995, doctors in Singapore did the first successful transplant of peripheral blood stem cells from a donor who was not related to the patient.
- In 2000, doctors in Singapore did the first unicompartmental arthroplasty in Asia.
- In 2001, doctors in Singapore did Southeast Asia's first heart transplant on a 36-year-old man with very poor heart function. They used an Electronic Heart Assist (Left Ventricular Assist Device) to do the transplant.
- In 2001, doctors in Singapore successfully separated a pair of craniopagus twins from Nepal who were joined at the head. This was a landmark operation that took more than 90 hours.
- In 2001, the first successful cord blood transplant from a donor who wasn't related to the patient was done. The patient had Thalassemia Major.
- In 2002, doctors in Singapore did the first adult liver transplant from a living donor in Southeast Asia.
- In 2004, the groundbreaking procedure of putting a tooth implant in the eye was done successfully.
- In 2005, the first kidney and bone marrow transplant in Asia was done in Singapore.
- In 2005, there were 374,000 visitors to Singapore.
- More than 300,000 people come to Singapore every year to get medical treatment.
The medical tourism market in Asia will be worth up to US$4 billion by 2012, and Singapore wants to bring in one million patients by that time.
Singapore gets a lot of patients from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East, Bangladesh, India, Australia, and even the U.S. and U.K. So many people from all over the world come to Singapore's hospitals to see specialists in cardiology, gynecology, orthopedic surgery, oncology, otorhinolaryngology, urology, neurosurgery, and Opthalmology, general surgery, and general medicine. There are a lot of reasons why so many people are choosing to travel to Singapore for medical care. Here, we'll tell you about some of the most important things we think have made Singapore a hot spot in the international healthcare scene.
- Centers for Specialized There are centers for neurology, cardiology, ophthalmology, oncology, and many other types of treatment. Patients from all over the world come to these centers for health screenings and treatment because they know they will get the best care.
- Professionals with Lots of Experience There are a lot of experts who can take care of health problems from the most simple to the most complicated. Also, Singapore's healthcare facilities are run by experts who make sure that patients get the best care possible.
- New Procedures for Treatment Singapore is where most of Asia's biomedical research is done. There are a lot of research and development (R&D) facilities to find new and better medicines and ways to treat people.
- Relaxation Singapore is a city where people speak many different languages and come from many different cultures. So, you won't feel out of place if you have to go to Singapore for medical care. Singapore is known for having a low crime rate, so your friends will also be safe. Also, the organized travel and tourism industry in Singapore is ready to help you get where you need to go and find a place to stay.
- Technologies on the cutting edge The hospitals in Singapore have state-of-the-art equipment to make sure that their patients get the best care possible. Singapore's hospitals are on the same level as those in the US and UK because they use the same cutting-edge technology.
So, if you have a health problem or want to get a proper health checkup, come to Singapore, where you can get truly international-quality healthcare at a price that is hard to believe.
