Why consider Ukraine?

Ukraine may not be the first place that springs to mind when you think about a location for your medical tourism break, but it was actually the world’s 7th most visited destination in 2008. By attracting more than 25.4 million tourists, it easily beat both Turkey and Greece.

With such a wealth of natural beauty, cultural tradition and rich heritage, it’s hardly surprising. Take a closer look at this huge, historic country and you’ll find so much to see and do to make your medical trip a holiday to remember. Naturally, most tourists head for the sophisticated beach resorts of the Crimea, but if you only stay there you’ll miss out on some truly spectacular sites.

Ukraine has so many beautiful churches, cathedrals and castles that people were recently invited to take part in a national vote to select the seven wonders of Ukraine. You should try to fit as many of these into your itinerary as possible. The seven wonders include the stunning green and gold domes of St Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, the magnificent Khotyn Fortress and the medieval Kamianets-Podilskyi Historical Complex in the west.

While much of Ukraine’s infrastructure is still recovering from its Soviet past, one area where Ukraine has excelled is in the provision of private medical facilities. Today’s healthcare tourist can expect the highest standards of equipment and expertise, as the Ukraine aims to attract new wealth from Russia and across Europe.

Private dentistry, cosmetic surgery and other medical treatments are all offered at significant savings compared to private treatment in the UK, with almost no waiting lists. In particular, the Ukraine is becoming well known as a specialist centre for laser eye surgery, with prices at around 20% of the UK costs. Ukraine is also one of the rare countries that supports international surrogacy, providing Ukrainian surrogate mothers and egg donation services at a fraction of the cost of elsewhere in Europe and with very short waiting lists.

With a flight time of just 2 ¾ hours from London, and reasonable return flights of around £200 with the budget airlines, Ukraine is an affordable destination for medical tourists. It offers interesting and historic city destinations for minor cosmetic surgery or cosmetic dentistry, offering a few interesting days of sightseeing as you recover. More involved cosmetic surgery or orthopaedic surgery will involve a longer stay, so the option of a high class coastal resort in the Crimea is certainly worth considering.

Treatment providers in Ukraine