BERLIN, 26 July 2003 — When an Arab patient flew to Germany for medical treatment last year he arrived on his own jumbo jet filled with so many bodyguards, staff and family that he rented an entire luxury hotel floor for his month-long stay.
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German hospitals are reporting huge increases in the number of Arab patients since 2001 — at the expense of US medical centers such as the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins that they compete with in the $2 billion international patient industry.
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Loening, who worked in American hospitals for 20 years, said the level of treatment in Germany is on a par with the United States and yet the costs are often roughly one-third as high. He said the price is not the main issue for the Arabs.
“They can fly in and out of Germany without any problems and don’t have to worry that a nail clipper in their bag is going to raise eyebrows,” Loening said. “No one is going to anger them at the airport and their privacy won’t be intruded upon.”
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German medical centers are giving Arab patients the red-carpet treatment and borrowing some of the strategies US medical centers began perfecting in the 1990s to lure wealthy foreign patients to boost profits.
Berlin’s five-star Adlon Hotel — where many Arabs stay while recuperating from heart surgery, kidney transplants or cancer treatment — also reports booming business with Arab patients. It recently entered a partnership with the Charite.
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http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=29361&d=26&m=7&y=2003&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom
Quite fascinating - they're doing their best to keep our medical system afloat. At least one issue where Bush caused something good - not in the US, but...
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