Not many people are aware that Spanish health system and services is considered to be one of the best in the world, ranked 7th by the World Health Organization (WHO). This plays an important role in making Spain as one of the most selected countries for medical tourism and attracting thousands of foreign patients every year. Spain is famous for its research & development with exceeding high standards mainly in eye surgery, neuro and spine surgery, plastic surgery, kidney & liver transplants, oncology, thoracic surgery and assisted reproduction (IVF and ICSI). Spain also has one of the lowest rates of mortality in cancer in the world and is rapidly progressing to the same standards to the rest of the medical sectors.
According to European Cities Monitor, Barcelona is ranked as the second city in Europe capable of improving services and infrastructures for its citizens only after Berlin and before London. The construction of new hospitals, scientific discoveries, international medical conferences, modern technologies and highly skilled specialists are some factors that make the capital of Catalonia one of the most developed and innovative cities in Europe.
While surgery and treatment costs can be very attractive in countries such as India or Thailand, the costs for the same services in Spain can represent roughly around one third of the prices charged in the United States. In other words, Spain offers high quality European standard medical services for affordable prices in comparison with other European countries.
The capital of Catalonia is one of the most attractive tourist destinations, being the 4th most visited in the world with around 7 million tourists a year. People are drawn to Barcelona for many reasons: Easy access to the Mediterranean Sea and its beautiful long sandy beaches, rich historical scenery, architectural and art heritage, delicious local gastronomy, mild climate, friendly atmosphere and hundreds of events and exhibitions are the main attractions for tourists all over the world. Being able to combine medical tourism with some sort of vacation time is one more reason to choose Barcelona as the place for your treatment.