55% of Germans would travel abroad for medical treatment, according to a study conducted by the market research institute YouGov on behalf of the International University of Bad Honnef/Bonn. Özge Tor Vural, as the managing director, organizes trips inclusive of medical treatments to Turkey for medicalfly. She was interviewed by medical BEAUTY FORUM.
med BF: Is the business worthwhile?
Özge Tor Vural: The business is indeed profitable. Our target audience relies on intermediaries like us because they are not familiar with the respective country and often do not speak the language. Even if they do speak the language or originally come from Turkey, it doesn’t mean they are knowledgeable about the subject. Hence, we are the perfect point of contact. With our two locations in Berlin and Istanbul, we can offer comprehensive support.
How has the business changed since the recent developments in Turkey?
The number of inquiries has drastically decreased in recent months, yet we still have significantly higher figures compared to last year. We observe that some of our customers are concerned and no longer want to travel to Istanbul with their families. More and more of our customers are traveling alone to solely access the medical services without an extended stay.
How do you address critics who see problems in medical tourism?
If I had listened to the criticism of others ten years ago, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Many didn’t believe that people would travel to Turkey for an operation. By now, more than 700,000 people from Germany travel abroad for medical treatment. Today, I encounter less criticism because many are aware that Turkey hosts leading experts in laser eye treatments, and Turkey has also established itself in the field of hair transplantation.
HOW MEDICAL TOURISM WORKS
Generally, medicalfly always requests photos of the problem areas or, in the case of dental issues, X-rays from their customers. The agency electronically sends these to the respective partner clinic and doctor. After feedback from the specialist, the customer receives a written offer from the agency listing the costs. If the customer decides on the operation, an order confirmation is created, which must be signed according to the agency’s terms and conditions to reserve the surgery date. If needed, the organizer also arranges flights and accommodations and organizes pick-up in Turkey. Follow-up treatments usually take place in Turkey.
