Landing in Hospital

New Zealand company Medtral is attracting American medical tourists 7,000 miles across the globe searching for quality non-acute surgical procedures at cheaper rates than their own system is able to offer. Medtral says it can offer procedures at boutique New Zealand hospitals with English-speaking follow-up personal nursing care and a culture that feels familiar to many Americans. Air New Zealand, a partner in Medtral, will arrange travel packages to and within the country. Edward Watson, a New Zealand OB-GYN who has been highly successful as a consultant for pharmaceutical firms including Pfizer and Pharmacia says 29 Americans and one Canadian have registered with Medtral since the company’s Web site was launched in September. “New Zealand is perceived as a safe option,” Watson says. “For an American coming here, it’s not a foreign experience. Yeah, it’s different, but you still have Starbucks, you have McDonald’s.” Operations are performed at Auckland’s Ascot and Mercy private hospitals and include IVF treatment, orthopaedic surgery and cardiac operations.