Promoting Malta as centre for cosmetic surgery

Malta is being promoted in the UK as a medical tourism destination.

About £40 million will soon be made available to people who want to take out a loan to undergo cosmetic surgery on the island. The funds would cover the cost of procedures as well as travel and accommodation costs, hotelier Michael Zammit Tabona said.

Sahara Medical Tourism, which is promoting the island for medical tourism, has already secured £20 million. A second company is expected to make another £20 million available in the coming days.

"We want to put Malta at the top of the list of countries where one can go for a medical procedure," Surgery Worldwide UK operations manager Gary Miller said.

Britons could fly out for cosmetic surgery that costs a fraction of what it does in the UK. Moreover, they can get a free consultation at an exclusive Harley Street clinic in London, he said.

Eight adverts will be screened daily on two channels - Living and Living 2 - from Wednesday morning during episodes of the cosmetic surgery programme Extreme Makeover. Some 200 adverts will be aired until mid-September. The Malta Tourism Authority is supporting the venture, investing over Lm300,000.

Mr Miller highlighted the importance that Maltese doctors get themselves registered with the UK's General Medical Council. Only in this way will they be recommended to British tourists.

St James Hospital head Josie Muscat said that considering that most Maltese doctors have had some training in Britain, this should not be a problem.

Although patients will be staying at the five-star Fortina Spa Resort, which is equipped with a complete rehabilitation centre, Mr Miller cautioned this is no vacation.

A recovery period following surgery was essential, and patients could not go on sightseeing tours straight out of hospital.

Most of Europe, he said, was promoting medical tourism. With its top-notch specialists and private clinics, Malta could very well become a centre of excellence.

Promoting the country for cosmetic surgery is only the first step, with plans already underway to tap into the UK's national health scheme (NHS) funding. The NHS stands to save thousands of pounds by sending patients to Malta for surgery rather than flying doctors to the UK, Mr Miller said.