The 9th International Exhibition of Medical Treatment Abroad, InterMed, was held on March 13–15, 2018, at the Expocentre Fairgrounds in Moscow.
The exhibition in 2018 was attended by medical institutions from 15 countries: Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Israel, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Finland, Croatia, South Korea and Japan.
The exhibition was attended by more than 4,500 people—specialists from Russian clinics, medical tourism agencies, travel agencies, insurance companies, as well as individuals interested in choosing a medical facility.
The Japanese International Lumbago Clinic, which participated in the exhibition for the first time, generated particular interest among visitors. The clinic specializes in minimally invasive treatment of low back pain caused by herniated discs and other conditions. The regenerative disc therapy used by Japanese doctors is available in only two other clinics worldwide.
"This is our first time participating in an exhibition in Russia. Following the three days of the exhibition, I'd like to note that we were able to communicate with many colleagues in the medical tourism field and with the patients themselves. We are confident that our participation in the exhibition will contribute to the development of our clinic," said Elena Polovnikova, representative of the International Lumbago Clinic.
The National Scientific Cardiac Surgery Center, also participating in the exhibition for the first time, presented unique technologies for the implantation of artificial ventricles and other minimally invasive cardiac surgeries.
As usual, services from Finnish companies attracted visitors' interest. Regular exhibitors—the patient support center Helena Medical Group and Helsinki University Hospital—presented high-quality medical services that offer treatment options for a wide range of conditions.
"Our clinic is a regular exhibitor. Over the course of three days, we managed to meet with our partners, meet numerous specialists from new companies and medical centers, and provide consultations to people interested in treatment in Finland. We look forward to seeing you again at the exhibition next year," says Olga Konovalova, Consultant Physician at Helena Clinic.
The InterMed 2018 exhibition featured a showcase of services from international medical institutions and an exclusive program of professional events presenting key trends in the medical and health tourism market. Supported by the Health Tourism Association, the business-to-business "International Exchange" conference brought together representatives from the domestic and international health tourism sectors to discuss current issues in the spa and resort industry, including accessibility of health facility data for doctors and patients and prospects for continuity in the clinic-resort system.
For the first time, the exhibition hosted a training course for medical tourism agencies and travel agencies planning to develop medical tourism. Evgeny Chernyshev, Vice President of the Association of Medical Tourism Agencies, helped travel agency representatives identify growth opportunities, and medical tourism agency specialists set development priorities. The training course concluded with an assessment of the agencies' performance against professional criteria. Tatyana Sokolova, CEO of MedikaTour, one of the oldest medical tourism agencies in the market, prepared a checklist for new agencies, based on her own extensive experience in the market.
The business program also included the "Medical and Rehabilitation Tourism 2018" conference, where specialists from medical institutions across various countries shared their experiences treating serious illnesses and discussed the latest technologies used in their countries.
The next InterMed exhibition will be held March 12–14, 2019, in conjunction with Russia's largest tourism exhibition, MITT, at the Expocentre Fairgrounds in Moscow, opening up even more opportunities for Russians to receive treatment and wellness at the world's leading medical institutions.
Source: trn-news.ru