Medical tourism among Yemenis (Health)

A constant number of patients travel abroad every year looking for medical treatment. Most people seek help abroad at their own expense* but a small number benefit from grants from the Ministry of Health. Mohammed Al-Shahari* the general manager of technical cooperation and international relations in the Ministry of Health* said that about 4000 Yemenis go to Jordan* 4000 go to Egypt* and between 1000 and 2000 go to other countries every year looking for medical treatment. Egypt* Jordon* Syria* Turkey* Russia* Algeria* Germany* America* and Saudi Arabia are the most popular destinations for medical travel among Yemenis.Abdulkarim Abo Zaid* the acting manager of technical cooperation and international relations in the Ministry of Health* said these nine countries are the most directions that give medical grants to patients. Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)* marrow surgery* some type of cancers* diabetes* chronic renal failure* liver hepatitis and innate deformation in children are some of the illnesses that push citizens to seek treatment abroad. Rasheed Al-Awadhi* medical manager of the cardiologist center in Sana?a* said that DCM in children is difficult to cure in Yemen because it requires the child?s heart to be replaced* which cannot be done in Yemeni hospitals. He added that innate deformation in children is another problem which cannot be solved in the country. Mo?ath Jaber is a child with an innate deformation called innate buttock and rectum block. According to his father Ahmed Jaber* Mo?ath has undergone six surgical operations* but none of them have succeeded. Mo?ath now has to wear a diaper because he cannot control himself. ?Despite my bad economic position* I decided to go abroad after having spent about million Yemeni Riyals for treatment in Yemen? said Moa?ath?s father. ?I would do anything to make my child live like other children.? Abdulkhaliq Al-Khawlani?s nephew is another example of a patient who cannot be cured in Yemen. He is 13 years old and needs bone marrow surgery. ?I am happy to have been given a medical grant from the Ministry of Health. However I waited about a year and three months for my turn to come* and the tickets are another obstacle because they are not included in the grant*? said Al-Khawlani. Abdulaziz Nasim takes his cousin to Saudi Arabia to treat him for osteopsathyrosis. Remarkably* Nasim was in Saudi Arabia when one of the Saudi princes donated grants to poor patients in 2006 and one of those grants was given to Nasim. ?The Ministry of Health gives medication grants* but I have to pay for tickets* hotels* and traveling expenses*? said Nasim* adding that this is very expensive.Every year* medical grants are given to Yemenis by the Ministry of Health* donor countries and other organizations from around the world. ?More than 300 medical grants are given to Yemenis from different countries every year*? said Al-Shahari. ?The Ministry of Health gives about USD 500 and two tickets to Yemeni citizens with incurable diseases to travel outside the country for medical treatment.? According to Al-Shahari* certain factors increase a patient?s chance to receive these grants: if the illness cannot be cured in Yemen* if the diagnosed illness is very rare* or if the disease is critical such as some kinds of cancer. Germazin* a German health service company with an office in Sana?a* last year gave full grants to two Yemeni children. Mohyi-Aldeen Saeed* the manager of Germazin* said that the company also offers translation and airport reception services to patients.Mohammed Al-Khalqi* supervisor of the Yemenia Airlines office in Haddah* explained that patients who are too weak to sit are given a bed on the plane. Although the bed actually takes up six seats* the airline company only charges them for three. As for children from poor families* the only way for them to receive treatment in Yemen is to wait for foreign medical delegations to come to Yemen* according to Al-Awadhi. These delegations -from Saudi Arabia* Qatar and Germany- give free treatment to Yemeni patients in their country. Al-Awadhi added that an agreement permits these delegations to enter Yemen with their equipment without paying custom duties. ?Accommodation and other services are offered to them by the government to ease their work*? he explained. Although patients with money directly travel outside Yemen for treatment* they often return saying they found the same medication abroad as in Yemen* according to Al-Awadhi. ?They then continue their treatment in Yemen* but never do they trust us at first*? he noted. Al-Awadhi said that patients do not trust Yemeni doctors with advanced surgical operations and pointed to professional mistakes as the main reason for a lack of trust in Yemeni doctors and frequent medical travel abroad.Abdullah Al-Asta* nerve and spine cancer specialist at Al-Thawra hospital* mentioned the care and services provided to Yemenis in foreign hospitals as another factor in them preferring treatment abroad. He added that the media should inform Yemeni citizens on technological improvements inside Yemeni hospitals* especially in Al-Thawra* and highlighted the success of many surgical operations on patients who were about to go abroad. Al-Awadhi concluded that new high-tech equipment and advanced methodologies in treatment were essential to improve hospitals and active medical treatment in Yemen. Al-Shahari highlighted the importance of increasing government hospitals? budgets and independence to enable doctors to make quick medicals decisions on necessary surgical interventions and to better serve to Yemeni citizens....

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