Cosmetic surgery in Tunisia

• Friday December 15, 2006 in: Global Plastic Surgery Tag(s):

  Technorati Tags: Tunisia, plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery, global plastic surgery,

  Ask a high school kid where Tunisia is on a map and chances are, they wouldn't find it. They probably wouldn't even know that there is a country called Tunisia. Cosmetic surgery however, has found its way into Tunisia, and is slowly transforming this African country into a center of medical tourism.

  From Gulf News:

  Already a popular sun-and-sea destination boasting ancient ruins as well, Tunisia wants to lure more tourists on high budgets by improving quality and diversifying away from the traditional beach market. Medical tourism is one way to do this.

  "There is a growing European fad for plastic surgery in Tunisia. It could become a hub for medical tourism," said Slim Ben Yeder, manager of the Soukra Clinic in Tunis.

  Just a short flight from Europe, Tunisia has one of Africa's most developed health infrastructures, skilled medical staff many of whom have trained in Europe and the United States as well as the traditional tourism attractions.

  But it is arriving late on the medical tourism scene. The industry has taken off in many developing countries in the last 10 years as the price of cosmetic surgery in Europe and the United States soared.

  Tunisia may be a latecomer in the medical tourism industry, but with the much cheaper costs of cosmetic surgery there, it won't be long before it manages to catch up with other medical tourism hubs.