Heightened Investor Interest in Medical Tourism – Dr. McNeill

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, says several investors have indicated an interest in establishing facilities and undertaking services linked to medical tourism.

“There are a number of persons, who are approaching us, who want to build facilities where persons can come down and receive operations…discussions are already happening in terms of dentists, as there are a lot of people, especially in the Diaspora whose dentists are in Jamaica. They travel to Jamaica and get their teeth done and that is a form of tourism,” he said.

Dr. McNeill, who was addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, noted that the Ministry has been involved in various projects geared at improving medical entities to facilitate areas of medical tourism.

He informed that the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has been working with the Ministry of Health to upgrade health centres and hospitals in order to capitalise on prospective developments geared towards medical tourism.

In terms of the health and wellness market, Dr. McNeill informed that there is an enterprise team in place that is looking at prospects and opportunities for Bath Fountain in St. Thomas and Milk River Bath in Clarendon.

“There are persons, who are interested in investing in developments in these two areas… the waters of both places are world-renowned and the extent to which we can develop that and capitalise on the potential is important to us,” the Tourism Minister pointed out.

In October, Hospiten Montego Bay, the only private hospital outside of Kingston with an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), was opened in Rose Hall, St. James.

The $2.3 billion first world facility will be catering to the medical needs of both local and overseas patients.