Often, medical tourism fails because the members
of the community do not understand its goals and
benefits. Locals may have misperceptions of what it
means to bring people in need of medical attention into
their community. They may not understand that they
too play a role in the success of the programme, or may
resent the fact that their local doctor is now seeing outof-town
patients. They must ensure to provide accurate
cost-benefit information and work with the community
rather than imposing a new model onto it