From PRCaribbean

IMTJ reports that Christina deMoraes (Brazil & USA) has founded the International Medical Tourism Chamber of Commerce (IMTCC). This is a noble initiative, however it raises several questions: Does the industry need another American trade body to represent the Global industry of Medical Tourism, in this case, with all US founding members? How does its services differ from the American Medical Association, also a trade body? (www.americanmedicalassociation.com) Can it develop the critical mass of knowledge and information needed to grow the Medical Tourism Industry as healthcare cybernetics, a Think and Do Tank has done? Healthcare cybernetics consists of a number of divisions where each addresses a Health Sector Domain  (Industry and Market Ecosystem) www.healthcarecybernetics.com.

Christina deMoraes founded the International Medical Tourism Chamber of Commerce (IMTCC) in 2012. It is based in California in the USA. It is still small with only six listed members, all in the USA; plus MedNetBrazil, a company owned by deMoraes.

The IMTCC was founded so that medical tourism consumers, healthcare providers and medical tourism service providers have an unbiased source to guide them on matters of competence and trust in this growing industry. The logic is that global healthcare should be based on patient centred care, with transparent pricing, plus aftercare and support- all in an ethical way.

Christine deMoraes comments, “I am the founder and we are gathering members.  I started more than ten years ago while I was living in Brazil.  I was a patient myself and then started helping others like myself. I handheld 300 patients through their medical tourism experience in the first few years.  What was essential for me was to provide my patients with advocacy, aftercare and accountability. I am inclined to trust that the majority of medical tourism agencies would prefer to do an excellent job if they were given the tools, workflows, protocols and mentoring they need.  I also believe that patients would be more trusting and recognize the value we add, the savings we assure and the stress we relieve if they had a source to go to for credible information and education. Aftercare is an essential part of the puzzle that is often missing.  Without adequate aftercare, patients suffer, doctors’ results are less than optimal and our industry’s reputation is negatively affected.”

The IMTCC is about connecting people; building relationships in integrity and providing standards of performance as solutions to the issues of the medical tourism healthcare experience.