The Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA) has released a report urging caution for travelers considering medical procedures abroad, specifically calling for people to avoid medical tourism in the Dominican Republic and highlighting safety concerns in Mexico, India, Thailand and South Korea. As the first comprehensive review of its kind for the medical tourism industry, the report documents a troubling number of cases in which medical travel resulted in severe complications, life-threatening infections, or death.
January is traditionally a peak month for booking medical travel for the year ahead, and MTQUA urges prospective medical travelers to exercise extra care when making arrangements. “We are naming the Dominican Republic because this situation has been going on for years. It is widespread and not confined to one or two clinics. Neither the government nor the medical establishment has shown a clear commitment to fix this. Instead, the country continues to promote itself as a preferred medical tourism destination which is absolutely not the case,” said Julie Munro, president of MTQUA. While authorities in the Dominican Republic have closed one clinic connected to serious postoperative infections in foreign patients, the organization says that isolated actions have not addressed the broader, systemic issues.
The report also warns that medical care in Mexico, India and South Korea can carry unreasonable risks that range from poor clinical outcomes to chronic debilitating illness or death. In Mexico, for example, a number of deaths related to cosmetic and weight-loss surgeries have been reported in border cities such as Tijuana and Mexicali. Reports from other highlighted countries describe similar patterns of infections and complications following procedures sought by international patients.
MTQUA is calling on officials and health authorities in the affected countries to investigate and act on documented instances of infection, illness and fatalities tied to medical tourism. Until systemic improvements are made, the organization recommends that patients take specific precautions when seeking care abroad. These include avoiding brokers or agents who work on a commission basis—since financial incentives can influence referrals—and choosing hospitals over standalone clinics whenever possible, as hospitals generally follow higher standards for hygiene, licensing and emergency care.
Medical travelers should also verify credentials for surgeons and facilities, ask for documented infection rates and complication histories, confirm availability of postoperative follow-up care, and check whether local emergency services and accredited laboratories are accessible. Seeking a second opinion before undergoing major procedures, understanding the risks and recovery timeline, and arranging for appropriate medical evacuation or repatriation insurance are additional prudent steps.
Ultimately, MTQUA emphasizes that while some international centers provide high-quality care, there are locations and providers where current conditions pose undue risk. Travelers considering medical procedures abroad should research thoroughly, prioritize accredited hospitals and transparent providers, and proceed only when safety and continuity of care can be reasonably assured.