Sri Lanka readies for ‘Healing Journey’ with new healthcare tourism company

By Cheranka Mendis

Giving Sri Lanka tourism a new lease of life, a new healthcare tourism company, Healing Journey, on Wednesday launched its services with the introduction of its website www.healingjourney.lk.

Healing Journey Director Sanajaya Padmaperuma explains the concept while Durdans Hospital Medical Services Manager Dr. Ruwan Senatilleke (L) and Ceylon Tours Managing Director Suren Ediriweera (R) look on – Pic by Upul Abayasekara

Designed to attract patients from all corners of the world for various medical procedures, Healing Journey also promotes pre- and post-medical tours for patients and their families to enjoy the beauty of Sri Lanka.

Director of the company Sanajaya Padmaperuma who is confident of getting at least 200 foreigners and /or diaspora down within the year under his company, noted that the decision to promote Sri Lanka both as a destination and as a provider of medical facilities came as he realised how many foreigners were travelling to Sri Lanka for medical purposes.

Healing Journey, which has tied up with Durdans Hospital and Ceylon Tours, will provide medical tourism services to visitors seeking safe, effective, and personalised medical care, with specific programs meticulously designed to attract patients from all over the world.

“We offer the best international healthcare, individualised services, and an opportunity to experience an exotic travel destination while one undertakes a journey of healing,” Padmaperuma said.

He said that medical tourism or health travel had gained acceptance as a real solution to the high cost of healthcare in the United States and other parts of the developed world. “Medical tourism is the choice a patient makes to travel outside one’s area of residence to obtain medical treatment and healthcare. For individuals without insurance or those needing medical procedures that insurance may not cover, medical tourism offers an attractive alternative to rising healthcare costs.”

Offering a host of procedures from dental to orthopaedic, general surgery, vascular and transplant, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, genitor-urinary, infertility and gynaecology, he stated that the saving could be as high as 50% in comparison to having it done in the West if payments are made in cash. Six leading doctors have so far partnered with Healing Journey in its new venture, which will be extended to more hospitals and will tie up with more doctors in the near future.

“Getting the best medical care is easy when you have a team of doctors, supported by high calibre nursing professionals and paramedical staff focused on you and your health. The clinical departments attached to our partner hospitals offer a wide menu of primary care, medical, and surgical specialties. High quality medical practitioners with a vast array of expertise and a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach leads to improved coordination, efficiency, and personalised patient care,” Padmaperuma added.

Ceylon Tours Managing Director Suren Ediriweera added that they were confident that news of this latest venture could be spread via Ceylon Tours’ extensive network of clients. “Medical tourism is a lucrative area in the industry. We would target pre-medical and post-medical tours designed with the patients’ health in mind. We have put together a number of packages which we hope will attract them.”

Durdans Hospital Medical Services Manager Dr. Ruwan Senatilleke noted that this was the first time the hospital had tied up with a local company. “We are already working with a Singaporean company to provide the services. We are a multi-speciality hospitality with a bed strength of 250 strategically located in Colombo.”

Dr. Senatilleke noted that the hospital had made several packages for patients which could be altered according to patients’ needs.

The venture will be promoted via web-based tools and at leading travel fairs and road shows such as ITB and WTM.

Pic by Upul Abayasekara