MP: Medical tourism in Azerbaijan remains one-sided

Medical tourism is developing in Azerbaijan, but, unfortunately, it is one-sided, Musa Guliyev, deputy chairman of the committee on healthcare of the Azerbaijani parliament, said.

Guliyev made the remarks at the event entitled "Medical Business Forum: Current Situation and Prospects" in Baku, Trend reports on Sept. 20.

"Those involved in this kind of tourism send patients from Azerbaijan to neighboring countries,” he said.

"The individuals involved in medical tourism in Azerbaijan must make efforts for people to come to our country in connection with medical tourism,” Guliyev said.

"Such a system should be created for patients from Iran, Georgia, Turkey and Russia's Dagestan to come to Azerbaijan,” he added. "When sending our citizens abroad, we cannot achieve success in medical tourism.”

Guliyev added that many doctors from abroad come to Azerbaijan, but it is necessary to attract foreign investments into the country instead of increasing the number of foreign doctors.

"Enough Azerbaijani personnel are trained abroad,” he said. "Foreign investments will support the further development of our medical sector."

Guliyev said that the establishment of an association in the private medical sector is very important.

"There are various associations, but we need a structure which will coordinate the work of doctors in the medical sector, discuss their common interests, problems, bring them to the attention of the society and state bodies,” he said. "This will create the conditions for the further development of the medical system in the future."