Known as a destination of lush rainforests, towering mountains and coffee plantations, Colombia is located at the northern tip of South America, and has a population of more than 48 million. Even though the service sector dominates Colombia’s GDP, the destination is well diversified with oil, natural gas, coal mining and a manufacturing industry which attracts greatest interest from foreign nations. With a stable government trying to put behind the violence and insecurity of the drug cartel era, this destination is gaining momentum as stability becomes the norm and
tourism continues to grow. The service industry accounts for 69% of the destination’s total job market thanks to sectors like tourism, construction, transportation and utilities.

With both, a private and a public healthcare system in the destination, Colombia follows its statutory law that establishes the fundamental right to health. Although the destination struggles with public coverage in the rural areas and small towns, its three main cities account for 95% of health coverage. That means that both the private and the public hospitals are located in the most populated areas with the private health sector providing more than 50% of health services in the destination.

If we review the main factors of the Index, Colombia ranks 17th for destination environment, mainly because it scored low on the safety and image, as it still fights to put the drug cartel era and the forest guerrillas in its past. For the medical and tourism industry factor, the destination ranked 2nd, thanks to a high score on the cost side of healthcare, as well as a good score attained in the attractiveness of the destination factor. This means that the destination is a very good option for vacationing while being treated in its private healthcare system. Finally, on the quality of its facilities and services factor, it ranked 12th, with a high score on the reputation and accreditation part of its healthcare system, as the South American nation continues to improve its healthcare infrastructure and brand. Overall, Colombia is ranked 10th out of the 41 destinations of the medical tourism index, and the best score for a Latin-American nation, only coming second to Canada in the America’s region. The lowest scoring main factor is the government’s responsibility, and the nation is doing something to increase it, as it gets past the old days of its bad reputation.