Belarus hospital US$0.5m medical tourism revenue

In the first half of 2018, Belarus hospital Brest Oblast Hospital reported earnings of US$531,000 from medical tourism, up from US$282,000 in 2017. Most patients came from Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan.

The hospital has around 360 patients a year, mostly from Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan. Patients seek organ transplants, heart surgery and joint replacement. Other services for medical tourists include rheumatology, gastroenterology and scans.

Belarus has a new a 30-day visa-free policy to citizens of 74 countries. The decision came into force on 27 July 2018 and expands upon the five-day visa-free policy for travellers from 80 countries launched in January 2017. Belarus started policies to simplify its visa process in April 2016.