The coronavirus pandemic has affected the wellbeing and safety of individuals around the world. During this global crisis, many people are choosing to not go outside of their homes. 

However, there are some non coronavirus related medical conditions that need immediate attention. If somebody needs critical care or a medical procedure to better their quality of life, they will have to visit a healthcare center regardless of the situation. These situations in hand  with the financial uncertainty that is arising from the crisis is creating the need for patients to travel for affordable healthcare elsewhere. 

Clinics need to make sure that all the necessary safety measures are taken, to reduce the probability of infections. Here are some safety measures that medical tourism hospitals should take during the Covid-19 pandemic:

Safety methods that international healthcare clinics should follow:

• Mandatory screenings: Perform temperature screenings at the entrance of the clinic.
• Reduce patient traffic in office: Take a limited number of patients per hour.
• Use safety gear: Do not allow patients or staff to enter the facility without safety masks, safety shields, and use sanitizers.
• Social distancing: Use signs and markings around the office to promote social distancing.
• Plexiglass shields: Reception and check-out desks should be equipped with plexiglass shields to further reduce the chances of transmission.
• Decrease direct contact: Try to reduce direct physical contact between the office staff and the patients.
• Minimize time in the waiting room: Limit the time that patients should have to sit in the waiting room. Patients required  to call once they are outside of the facility, to let the staff know that they have arrived

How have international healthcare clinics changed over the last few months?

These policies should be followed by international healthcare clinics around the world to promote patient safety:

• Use of face masks: Healthcare workers must use gloves, face masks, and face shields during the performance of medical procedures. Medical gowns and aprons must be used and washed on a daily basis. Healthcare gloves need to be disinfected after each patient exam or thrown away.
• Receive payments online: Online payments can be done by using a credit card and online transfers. If a patient decides to use cash to make a payment, the cash should be collected by wearing gloves, and hand sanitizer should be utilized after the payment is received.
• Limit the time patients spend in the office: Patients should not be accompanied by family or friends when they visit the office (Sometimes this is unachievable).
• Sanitize office equipment: Once each medical exam is over, alcohol wipes should be used to clean all equipment that was utilized during the patients visit.

The safety of patients and healthcare workers should not be jeopardized for any reason. It is important to consistently employ safety practices at every international healthcare clinic, so your medical staff and patients don’t risk getting infected due to negligence.