THE Department of Tourism (DoT) has plans to boost medical tourism in the country — and increase the public’s awareness of such in the global market.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the pandemic-induced crisis brought into light the importance of medical travel and wellness tourism.

“We see so much untapped potential in the health and wellness industry. With world-class hospitals and facilities, skilled doctors and nurses, and the Filipino brand of hospitality, the Philippines is poised to become an attractive destination for medical tourism,” Romulo-Puyat noted.

“Currently, we have been implementing measures that will further develop the country as a medical tourism destination in a calibrated approach, including the development of an internal ecosystem and network of facilities in the country to accommodate concerns and issues surrounding this tourism product,” she added.

Romulo-Puyat said the DoT has developed a gold standard in approaching health and safety for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) events, following the successful hosting of the 21st World Travel and Tourism (WTTC) Global Summit in Manila last April, as well as institutionalizing health and safety in tourism activities. She noted the government agency’s partnership with the Department of Health and Makati Medical Center to attend to the medical needs of tourists.

Juergen Steinmetz, a delegate in the recent WTTC Summit, shared his experience following the medical treatment at the Makati Medical Center for his left leg — which was diagnosed to be inflicted by a flesh-eating bacteria. “It’s a secret to be revealed and in the making to come out and go viral. The Philippines will become the number one destination for medical tourism,” Steinmetz quipped in his recent article published by eturbonews.com.