There has been a sprawling development of medical centers in Asia but more specifically of aesthetical centers with the need of bringing differentiated quality to potential customers. The practice of cosmetic has proved to be very profitable stirring the proliferation of smaller centers whose practitioners pose as real cosmetic surgeonseven though in a country such as Phiklippines seven years of residency education at a reputable hospital are needed to pretend such a thing.

Creating barriers of entry is a new challenge for aesthetic centers. There are several ways of upgrading the quality of a center:

+ recruiting seasoned surgeons

+ showing dedication to care, prevention and decease treatment, the primary functions of doctor in an aesthetic center

+ using breakthrough technology 

The Aesthetic and Dermatology Center that has opened in March 2007 in Manilla is a perfect example of this upward trend through the use of new technologies to complement the surgery such as Aesthera, a machine used for hair removal and skin rejuvenation or the LPG machine (named after its designer, French engineer Louis Paul Guitay) to prepare the body before liposuction, or to contour the body after the procedure. This example put forward the high degree of penetration of new technology; innovation is an important differentiation factor of medical procedures in Asia as some treatments are approved and available in Asian hospitals months before their actual diffusion in the US and in The UK

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The new paradigm … not the old woman!

Defining a new paradigm

The Health industry is gaining foothold on the Medical industry as a new paradigm surfaces. In fact, the new trend is not to wait to get sick or spend on chronic care but get to grip with our pitfalls at an early stage through medical screening. Indeed, Medical check ups appears as the real centerpiece of this new paradigm. However,  the cost of an extensive medical check up is extremly high in the US and some parts of the check up are not available in some hospitals. On the other hand when looking at Asian Hospitals we find that the top JICT accredited hospitals are well equiped to treat demands of extensive check ups and offers a real cost differential.

Hence, Medical tourism should focus in a near future on light medical procedures such as Medical Check ups to open the total array of services connected to medical tourism. Medical check ups appears as the stepping stone of the industry, but how?