The average receipt amount of foreign patients in Ukrainian clinics in 2019 increased from $2,000-2,500 to almost $2,800, Vice President of the Ukrainian Association of Medical Tourism (UAMT) Ihor Torsky has said.

"According to our annual research, this indicator is growing. In 2019, the average check of one foreign medical tourist was about $2,800. It is possible that in 2020 this figure will be even higher," he said at a press conference devoted to the Global Medical Tourism Forum Healthcare Travel Forum 2020, which will be held in Kyiv city and Lviv region April 22-25, 2020.

At the same time, Torsky said that the development of high-tech medical technologies and innovative treatment methods contributed to the increase in the average check of foreign patients.

At the same time, according to him, the increase in the average check was also influenced by the pricing policy of the clinics.

"This is an increase in prices. We do not always agree and discuss the feasibility of such an increase with clinics. I want to advise the representatives of the clinics to be careful with the pricing policy, since we are in a highly competitive world of medical tourism," he said.

At the same time, Torsky said that the average check of foreign patients in Ukrainian clinics differs by region.

"In Kyiv, the average check is about $3,240, in Lviv this amount is lower, because the structure of the provision of services differs from region to region," he said.

According to him, in the country's clinics reproductive medicine and cell technology are the most developed. "These industries are high-tech, they require fairly accurate laboratory equipment and highly qualified specialists. Ukraine in these two areas is one of the world's leaders," he said.

At the same time, Torsky said in other areas of medical tourism, in particular in dentists, rehabilitation, oncology, the flow of medical tourists is based on a "very balanced pricing policy for clinics", as well as on the absence of a so-called "waiting list" for getting consultations with specialty physicians.

"To get an appointment with a specialty physician at home by the insured person, he needs to wait long enough. This is one of the reasons why patients choose Ukraine," the vice president of the UAMT said.

In turn, President of the UAMT and President of the Global Healthcare Travel Council (GHTC) Violetta Yanyshevska added that foreign patients can receive high-tech treatment in Ukrainian clinics using cyberknife, gamma knife, and da Vinci robot technologies.

"There are already expensive procedures in Ukraine, for which patients were to travel abroad. Now there are these technologies and this high-tech equipment, and clinics can provide such services, including to foreign patients," she said.

At the same time, Yanyshevska expressed the opinion that for the development of medical tourism Ukraine should resolve a number of problems, in particular, related to visa issues for foreign patients, and also introduce the concept of "medical tourism" in the legislative field. "There are working groups so that the parliament of this convocation can develop and adopt a law on medical tourism," she said.

According to GHTC estimates, the global market for tourism segments related to health care is estimated at $439 billion. According to international experts, its constant growth of 10-20% is expected in the next 10 years. Every year, 3-4% of the world's population will travel abroad for treatment and rehabilitation.