Ethical issues[edit]
There can be major ethical issues around medical tourism.[34] For example, the illegal purchase of organs and tissues for transplantation had been methodically documented and studied in countries such as India,[37][38] China,[39][40] Colombia[41] and the Philippines.[42] The Declaration of Istanbul distinguishes between ethically problematic "transplant tourism" and "travel for transplantation".[43]
Medical tourism may raise broader ethical issues for the countries in which it is promoted. For example, in India, some argue that a "policy of 'medical tourism for the classes and health missions for the masses' will lead to a deepening of the inequities" already embedded in the health care system.[44] In Thailand, in 2008 it was stated that, "Doctors in Thailand have become so busy with foreigners that Thai patients are having trouble getting care".[45] Medical tourism centered on new technologies, such as stem cell treatments, is often criticized on grounds of fraud, blatant lack of scientific rationale and patient safety. However, when pioneering advanced technologies, such as providing 'unproven' therapies to patients outside of regular clinical trials, it is often challenging to differentiate between acceptable medical innovation and unacceptable patient exploitation.[46][47]