Best Hospitals for Oncology in South Africa

The popular multispecialty hospital groups in South Africa are:

1. Ahmed Al-Kadi Private Hospital
2. Busamed Hillcrest Private Hospital
3. Busamed Gateway Private Hospital
4. Busamed Modderfontein Private Hospital
5. Busamed Lowveld Hospital
6. Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre
7. Busamed Paardevlei Private Hospital
8. Life Bay View Private Hospital
9. Lenmed Shifa Hospital

These hospitals have taken the patient experience to the next level by ensuring the below things:

1. Providing clear information about medicines to patients
2. Effective engagement between nursing staff/doctors and patients;
3. Suitability of the hospital environment for meeting the needs of patients
4. Effectively managing pain.

South Africa is known to have strict government regulations for controlling the quality of care provided by the government and private hospitals. The hospitals are backed with state-of-art infrastructure, the latest medical equipment, and well-trained doctors and offer world-class facilities to enhance the patient experience.

In South Africa, the healthcare system is bound to follow standards set by the Joint Commission International (JCI) and Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA). In order to ensure coordinated and integrated care is provided by healthcare facilities, COHSASA sets and assesses standards for all sectors and departments of a healthcare system. The SafeCare program introduced by JCI, COHSASA, and SafeCare Foundation aims at using internationally recognized standards to provide health care delivery. Clinics and Hospitals that comply with standards are initially given two-year accreditations and this period is extended if they are consistent in providing quality care.

Affordable healthcare and superior infrastructure are the main reasons for the popularity of South Africa in the medical tourism sector. South Africa’s growing popularity in medical tourism is also attributed to factors like a large pool of accredited hospitals, advanced technology, world-class facilities provided by hospitals, global exposure of doctors. In addition, South Africa’s liberal laws allow for the use of stem cells in medical practice, making it an invaluable destination for patients in need of advanced medical treatment. The hospitals in South Africa strive to take the stress out of your medical holiday by helping you with all kinds of organization and administrative tasks, as well as provide all-inclusive care and assistance on a 24/7 basis.

The doctors in South Africa strive to provide quality treatment utilizing their deep subject knowledge and hands-on experience in handling various complex cases. Majority of doctors in South Africa have received rigorous training in countries like Cuba and Australia which makes them competent in dealing with even the most complicated cases with great ease. The doctors deliver great results in dental procedures and fertility treatments and provide complete patient satisfaction through a holistic approach. The high quality of doctors in the country is attributed to factors like their patient-centric approach, incorporation of the human touch in treatment, education at reputed colleges, and adherence to global standards.

You can stay in South Africa for a period of 90 days under a medical visa. The extension of the stay period is decided by the High Commission.. People must apply for a temporary residency permit if they require medical treatment for longer than three months. The validity of a visa starts the day it is granted by the High Commission and not on the date of departure. Also, visa applications will not be accepted more than 30 days prior to departure. You need to produce the below documents to apply for a medical visa:

1. Passport
2. Passport-sized photographs
3. Online Application form
4. Full return flight reservation
5. Proof of stay in South Africa
6. Signed official medical letter from medical institution
7. Signed medical letter from a recognized local practitioner

A large number of people visit South Africa to avail procedures like anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, total knee replacement, meniscus repairs, and hip replacement. Besides offering these popular procedures, South Africa also attracts many medical tourists for cosmetic surgery and infertility treatment. Egg donation program is very popular in the country and you have an option of having either a surgical or non-surgical procedure, with very low waiting times. People select South Africa to avail these procedures due to several reasons, such as world-class hospitals with superior infrastructure and highly-skilled doctors, fast recovery, and use of cutting-edge medical technology.

South Africa has a number of modern urban centers, such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban. Cape Town a major tourist attraction that has a rich culture, world-class doctors, and modern health facilities. An efficient public transportation system, affordable accommodation, connectivity through airlines, and a wide range of food options are some of the reasons for the popularity of these cities among medical tourists. Johannesburg’s public and private healthcare industry coordinates with South Africa's medical schools to create internationally recognized medical specialists and the quality of medical care is on par with Great Britain.

Yes, vaccination is mandatory before you travel to South Africa. Some of the vaccines recommended by WHO and the National Travel Health Network and Centre are Yellow fever, hepatitis A, rabies and tetanus, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera. Infants 6 to 11 months old travelling to the country should get 1 dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine before travel. It is always recommended that you get typhoid vaccination if you are going to stay with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas of South Africa. You need to keep yourself updated with vaccination guidelines issued by the government. Also, check with the doctor, the government authority, or hospitals in South Africa as to what vaccination should be taken.