Friday, August 24, 2007 Dentists want to be part of RP medical tourism
AS government and industry try to position Cebu as a medical tourism destination, local dentists expressed their intentions to become part of the development.
A group of local dentists said that by improving their facilities and capabilities, Cebu’s position to become a hub for medical and dental tourism is not far from reality.
Dr. Andrea Arancillo, a periodontologist, said that apart from medical treatments, a lot of foreign patients flock to Cebu for dental care such as dental implants, periodontal surgery and multiple tooth extractions, among others.
“Foreigners have a low threshold for pain,” she said, adding that this is why some foreign patients undergo deep sedation when they have their gums and teeth treated here.
Dr. Gaston Batiller, who specializes in restorative dentistry, said that while he sees potentials in the Philippines’ dental tourism industry, the country lags behind Thailand and Singapore in terms of government support and acquisition of modern equipment.
Support
“In these countries, their facilities are (technologically) advanced because their government is supportive. Here, if we want to get dental scans for example, it’s too expensive. In Thailand, they can get it through tax incentives,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
Arancillo said the trend in more developed countries is the development of dental hospitals.
While medical and dental tourism in Thailand and Singapore continue to develop, generating more dollar revenues, medical practitioners in the Philippines continue to fill up their “wish list,” said Batiller.
He is optimistic though that with the industry prodding government to see the benefits of medical and dental tourism, the Philippines will become a preferred destination among foreign patients.
This is not only because medical and dental treatment is more affordable here, but also because of the pool of world-class Filipino doctors, nurses and dentists.
To be able to take advantage of future developments in medical tourism, 23 doctors, including Arancillo and Batiller, and businessmen formed a consortium to establish the multi-million peso Dental Implant and Multi-disciplinary Oral Care (Di-moc) center.
Dimoc, located on Don Gil Garcia St., Cebu City, conducts dental implantation, periodontal surgery, endodontic therapy and oral prophylaxis, among others. The clinic is equipped with operating and recovery rooms and x-ray machines.
It is like a “one-stop shop” for dental needs and is the first in Visayas and Mindanao, said Dr. Clarissa Jane Fidellaga-Pe, who specializes in orthodentics or oral surgery.
The facility offers convenience and safety to patients who will no longer have to go to different places to undergo various treatments, said Arancillo. (MMM)
