By Joyce Socao-Alumno and Ramil Gulle Philippine Daily Inquirer

Long-time friends Dr. Vicky Belo (medical director) and Dr. Philip Buag (asst. medical director) are both hands-on in the operations of The Belo Medical Groups nine clinics.

There are those who say that Philippines has everything it needs to become Asias beauty capitalWestern-trained plastic surgeons and specialists in Aesthetic Medicine; advanced medical facilities; competent and caring nurses and other health professionals; lower cost of cosmetic and aesthetic procedures; proficiency in English; and relaxing, picturesque, tropical destinations for patients recovering from treatments.

While medical tourism in the Philippines has not taken off as soon as the healthcare industry has hoped, there is still a lot of optimism. The Philippine healthcare sectors biggest players continue to invest in technology, equipment, and quality professionals, believing in the countrys huge potential as a medical tourism destination.

Fortunately, while the Philippines growth as a medical tourism destination has been slow, it remains steady, consistent, and encouraging for investors. It would be good to look at the strengths that the Philippines possesses in terms of beauty, cosmetic, and aesthetic treatments as well as the challenges it needs to hurdle in order for it to become the beauty capital that the industry is aiming for.

Aesthetic centers

The Philippines top government and private hospitals are equipped with the most modern medical equipment available today. In general, the Philippines top hospitals would have equipment that are at par with, if not better, than hospitals in the US and Europe. Such equipment are acquired from the same top suppliers that the best hospitals in other countries also source from.

The countrys top hospitals are also accredited, or in the process of being accredited as conforming to international quality standards, by respected international bodies under the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) like JCI; NABH International; and Accreditation Canada.

At least three major hospitals, Makati Medical Center; The Medical City; and St. Lukes Medical Center are all offering cosmetic, aesthetic, dermatological, and anti-aging treatments using the most modern equipment and the latest procedures. Their surgeons and other specialists are all board-certified, with many of them affiliated with medical organizations in the US.

Recent examples of how advanced Philippine hospitals have become include the upgrades done by The Medical City and Makati Medical Center. Both have recently established the most advanced stem cell facilities in the Philippines: The Medical Citys Institute for Personalized Molecular Medicine (IPMM) and the Makati Medical Centers Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory. These stem cell facilities process the stem cells used in their aesthetic and anti-aging treatments. Both facilities are at par with those found in the U.S. and Europe.

See the article here:
Ultimate makeover needed to make Philippines