Turkey's medical tourism pitch looking good

ISTANBUL－At a privately owned clinic in Istanbul, a physician removed a bandage with exceptional care to reveal rows of tiny dotted red wounds on his patient's head. Then, he gently cleaned the dried blood.

"It hasn't even been 10 hours since the operation, but the result already looks perfect," said Servet Terziler, a hair transplant specialist.

Alberto Bolos Sanchez, a 31-year-old Spanish man, also seemed satisfied with the result after Terziler showed him the new hair follicles transplanted onto a bald area on his head.

"I can clearly say that Istanbul is currently the capital city of the world in hair transplantation," said Terziler as he continued to dress Sanchez's wounds.

As Turkey's nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign continues at a fast pace, Terziler said foreigners are increasingly seeking out aesthetic surgeries in the country, and they come from all over the world.

Terziler, who is also head of the Turkish Health Tourism Association, said Turkey's experienced surgeons, advanced infrastructure and highly technologically equipped health facilities have recently transformed the country into a health tourism hub.

Generating revenues

In 2019, about 1.3 million people visited Turkey for its health tourism, generating nearly $3 billion in revenue. However, the sector saw a loss of up to 60 percent last year due to the pandemic.

"I believe that aesthetic tourism will increase exponentially from now on," said Terziler, adding that the sector is aiming for a $10 billion turnover by the end of 2023.

Nose aesthetics, mammaplasty, silicone implants, and Brazilian butt lift operations are in high demand among women, while hair transplants are popular among men.

According to 2019 figures, up to 750,000 foreigners came to Turkey for hair transplants alone.

"COVID-19 has made us a little sad. We were forced to stay at home, became depressed. But now people are starting to find a way out from this gloomy mood," Terziler said.

The sector has long been working to return to pre-pandemic boom times, with a significant focus on promotional activities to lure more patients from different parts of the world, including China.

Noting that Turkey and China have deep-rooted friendly relations, Terziler said Turkish experts have been closely following the developments in the Chinese health sector.

There are 50 full-fledged clinics and over 1,000 doctor offices in Istanbul alone, where only minor procedures such as Botox procedures are carried out.