Sérgio Franco, executive board member of the MALO CLINIC, spokes to Essential about the Malo Group's role in the growth of health tourism in Portugal.
It’s one of the biggest Portuguese players in the health tourism sector. Offering the most varied treatments in the area of health and wellness, with emphasis on medical dentistry, the Malo Group has attracted more and more foreign visitors to Portugal, year after year. Complementing the unique points of each destination is the group's diverse array of programmes available to its patients. From oral rehabilitation, an area in which the group is recognised internationally, through to preventative medicine with “Full Body Checkup” programmes, thermal spas, anti-ageing and relaxation, there is a huge variety that is very appealing indeed.
“The demand for health services (medical and wellness) outside of where one lives, particularly in another country, happens for different reasons: more competitiveness in the destination country, access to services not available at a convenient time, or that simply don't exist, access to better-quality services, reasons relating to privacy, legal or cultural constraints in the country of origin and, increasingly so, the combination of one of these motivations with a leisure component,” explains Sérgio Franco, executive board member of the MALO CLINIC and board member of the MALO CLINIC TERMAS LUSO.
For these different purposes, the group presents an array of destinations that fulfil the needs of its visitors, whether national or international. “As health tourism is a 'compo site product', which comprises different types of motivations (relating to a health element and a leisure element), the different regions of the country can be yet another distinguishing factor, for their cultural identity, food, historical heritage and the 'sun and sea' component, amongst other factors (…) With the exception of the Coimbra clinic, all the other units [Oporto, Lisbon, Portimão and Funchal] are located near a leading hotel [Hotel Porto Palácio, Hotel Marriott, Hotel Pestana Alvor Praia and Hotel Meliã Madeira Mare], with which we have developed protocols that mean we can offer an integrated package of services.” He adds: “The Funchal clinic, part of the hotel itself, was conceived to be a Medical Spa right from the start to provide a comprehensive range of services, with the advantages of a hotel, medical dentistry [MALO CLINIC], beauty and spa [MALO CLINIC SPA].”
Although the group boasts an extensive variety of services, it's the oral rehabilitation, and more specifically the All-on-4® technique, that has most clearly contributed to the development of health tourism in Portugal. “It's interesting to note that the demand for new treatment solutions in dentistry, outside the country of origin, seems to be the main driving force in medical tourism, according to the Medical Tourisms Report – UK 2009, put together by the International Medical Travel Association,” quotes the administrator. “The MALO CLINIC, pioneer in the development of surgical techniques applied to rehabilitate completely toothless patients [All-on-4® | MALO CLINIC Protocol] has boosted medical tourism thanks to its ability to stand out and its level of excellence in providing medical services, placing Portugal in a leading position on a worldwide scale, in this specific area.”
Sérgio Franco adds that the Lisbon clinic remains the destination with the highest number of visitors in regards to health tourism. “All the MALO CLINIC units in Portugal receive foreign patients, however the Lisbon clinic, a world leader in the field of oral rehabilitation, is the unit that most stands out and which brings in higher numbers in regards to medical tourism. With the expansion plan started in 2009 with the opening of the clinic in Oporto, followed by Coimbra in 2010, Portimão in 2011 and Funchal in 2013, national and international patients have naturally spread out amongst them.” The thermal spa has also been a success for the group, with a visible growth in inter national visitors.
“The MALO CLINIC TERMAS LUSO unit, run in conjunction with the Sociedade Águas de Luso, has managed to attract a growing number of foreign visitors to the wellbeing thermal spa, having surpassed 450 clients from 36 countries in 2013.” The way in which visitors are received at each clinic is also something that doesn't go unnoticed: “The patient is always accompanied by customer care services, the dental assistant or the doctor, depending on the stage of the process (…) Different doctors accompany the patient, depending on the specifications of the service,” explains Sérgio Franco. “We want to offer the patient complete support, providing transfers, translations, hotel and some more specific services when requested. The protocols established with the hotels and their location, side by side, are a huge advantage and a great convenience for the patient.”
For the future, the Malo Group will continue to champion the development of this type of tourism. “Health tourism, particularly in its medical aspect, is an important area in which the group already holds a significant position within Portugal. However, that position is tiny if we consider the market potential on a global scale, reason for which it still merits our attention. The specific profile of our 'product' for the rehabilitation of totally toothless patients, an area of expertise we have been developing over the years, represents an important competitive advantage which we hope to promote on a globalised market that's more appealing than ever,” concludes Sérgio Franco.
