Epidauria was visited by thousands of people each year, for cases like fever, bone problems, heart ailments, skin disease and many more. It was the first travel destination of medical tourism. Over the years, sanitariums and spa towns were also built and became the early types of medical tourism. Patients visited the spa towns during the 1700s to get mineral water that is believed to boost health and treat problems like bronchitis, gout and liver conditions. Some of the advantages of visiting the country include the availability of top quality hospitals, experienced and well-trained medical staff and English being widely spoken throughout the main cities. Malaysia also has a very active association that aims to develop medical tourism. There is a national accreditation scheme as well. Some of the other popular places for cosmetic surgery include Turkey, Malta, India, China and New Zealand. Patients should plan and prepare for their travel carefully. The waiting list is significantly shorter in Asia, so you can expect to have the procedure a day or two after you arrive. You can also gain advantage of medical tourism packages wherein you get transportation to and from your hotel, meal bookings and tours around the city before and after your operation. Finding the Organizations The Trent International Accreditation Scheme is the main body handling standards of care in the United Kingdom and Hongkong, while the Joint Commission International (JCI) is responsible for monitoring health care standards and providers in the United States. It is important that the patient is informed about the involved medical institutions handling his case. Several medical institutions at present find that being accredited by JCI helps them get the trust of many American patients. The Joint Commission is connected with JCI in America. The two groups are independent private groups that do not function for profit. These groups try to develop internationally and nationally recognized standards and processes to boost patient safety and health care. Of course, recommendations will be provided but it is always the patient who makes the final choice, regardless of the results. Your current insurance policy may not cover medical tourism packages, but you may be referred to companies that now provide several benefits amount up to $100,000 or more to medical tourists.