Medical access in India eased for Ugandans

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

Magnus MediTourism, Premium Medical Travel Facilitator based inMumbai, India has signed a franchisee agreement EquatorOne, a Ugandan tours & travel agency as its exclusive representative in Uganda

The partnership will allow Ugandan healthcare providers and patient’s alike, convenient access to alternative medical treatment at multiple hospitals across several Indian cities including tier 2 and tier 3 cities that are more affordable.

Magnus is one of the only 2 medical travel providers, accredited by the National Accreditation Board of Hospital and Healthcare (NABH) - the Quality Council of India.

(L-R) Mihir Vora, CEO Magnus MediTourism, a premium medical travel facilitator based in Mumbai- India  and Judith Sheenah Kyamutetera, General Manager EquatorOne, a Ugandan tours & travel agency, exchange copies of an MOU at the launch of Magnus Uganda. Magnus Uganda will operate under the Magnus MediTourism to provide Ugandan healthcare providers and patients alike, convenient access to alternative medical treatment at over 35,614 hospitals in India.

Magnus also has apartnership with some of India’s best Medicare providers such as: Apollo Hospitals, Fortis,Manipal Hospitals, Medanta Hospitals and Kokilaben Dirhubai Ambani etc. who boast of some of the world’s leading specialists in cancer care, urology, ophthalmology, gastroenterology,dentistry, ENT, orthopedic, among other medical specialized services.

 The agency will provide services that include; booking medical appointments at preferred hospitals, travel tickets, accommodation, transportation services, booking dining services, assistance with foreign exchange among other services while in India.

Speaking at the launch of the partnership at the Kampala Serena Hotel, Magnus MediTourism Founder and CEO, Mr Mihir Vora said;

“India is a credible global medical centre due to its advanced technology and highly specialized doctors. As a result we have seen a growth in the number of Ugandans seeking medical attention in India and we know the challenges one goes through when accessing services in a foreign country. This partnership is to enable Ugandans in need to easily access these services in a hustle free and secure environment so that they only concentrate on their recuperation.”she explained to the media in Kampala.

Mrs Judith Sheenah Kyamutetera, the Country Head of Magnus MediTourism Uganda and herself a cancer survivor said;

“I have been a beneficiary of Magnus services myself, having been diagnosed with breast Cancer in May 2016. Working with professional medical travel facilitators like Magnus eased on the pain and made the entire experience pleasant, which is why I decided to bring this service here so that other Ugandans may benefit from it,” she said.

According to the World Health Organization and Ministry of Health, diseases such as diabetes,cancers, cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and strokes) are the second largest cause of mortality in Uganda, accounting for 34.6% of total deaths in 2015, and according to WHO’s Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Country Profiles 2014, the probability of dying during the most productive years (ages 30-70) for Uganda from the 4 main NCDs is 21%.

In Africa and across developing countries, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer and diabetes pose an increasing threat. Current projections indicate that by 2020, the largest increases in deaths from NCDs will occur in Africa.

Due to the high costs incurred by patients in these developing countries, more people are opting to seek medical attention from more developed countries thus growing the medical tourism industry. This is mainly due to globalization and technology advancements across the globe.