The GHTC 2018 Antalya DeclarationBefore declaring the start of the election process, Dr. Constantinides, in his capacity as GHTC Secretary General, proceeded to issue the much-anticipated declaration: Establishment of a Health Tourism Commonwealth – to be known as the 2018 Antalya Health Tourism Declaration (or simply, the Antalya Declaration).
The GHTC 2018 Antalya Declaration
Before declaring the start of the election process, Dr. Constantinides, in his capacity as GHTC Secretary General, proceeded to issue the much-anticipated declaration: Establishment of a Health Tourism Commonwealth – to be known as the 2018 Antalya Health Tourism Declaration (or simply, the Antalya Declaration).
The Declaration aims to encourage and support the establishment of a Health Tourism Commonwealth of Destinations which will, at the same time, collaborate with and compete against each other.
Announcements
Assessment and Rating System and Awards Scheme
Dr. Constantine Constantinides, Founder, Health Tourism Enterprise and GHTC Secretary General, announced that the Global Healthcare Travel Council will be spearheading the initiative to develop and administer an Assessment and Rating System and Awards Scheme for:
- Health Tourism Destinations (including Health Resorts)
- Providers:
- of Health-related Services (in the 8 Segments)
- of Sector-supporting Services
- Yeditepe University (Turkey)
- Athens University (Greece)
- UCL Eastman Dental Institute (USA)
- University of the Aegean (Greece) – which will be providing an eLearning program addressing the subject of “Cross Cultural Communication”
The awards scheme (with the Assessment and Rating System as guide) will be administered by the Global Healthcare Travel Council.
Awards will be handed out, each year (starting in 2019), at the annual Global Healthcare Travel Forum.
Postgraduate Education Program in Dentistry
Associate Professor Nikolaos Kouvelas, Member, GHTC Education Committee, announced the launch of a Postgraduate Education Program in Dentistry, involving the participation of the following Academic Institutions:
The program foresees the provision of Postgraduate Education in Dentistry (under the Auspices of the GHTC) to address the needs of Dentists – in the context of Dental Tourism.
Provision of a Remote Patient Monitoring Service
Professor Tayfun Aybek, M. D., Head, Cardiovascular Department, TOBB ETU University, Ankara, Turkey – and GHTC Ethical Committee Member, announced the launch of an innovative Remote Patient Monitoring Service (developed by Professor Aybek and engineers from “map2heal”).
The service, through the use of a mobile device, enables patients to monitor and record a number of parameters (including blood pressure, EKG, hemoglobin, arterial blood gases etc.) after cardiac surgery or a heart attack – and aims to anticipate and predict complications, which can be addressed “pre-emptively”.
Setting the stage for Health Tourism Sector “Leadership Transition”
Sophia Mouggou, Member, Board of Directors, EURODENTICA Specialized Dental Care, Athens, Greece – and a Health Tourism Protégé – announced an initiative which sets the stage for Health Tourism Sector “Leadership Transition”.
More specifically, the Global Healthcare Travel Council (GHTC), in collaboration with Health Tourism Policy and Strategy (the think and do tank) – and the technical support and know-how provided by Health Tourism Enterprise – has taken the initiative of setting the stage for the Health Tourism Sector “Leadership Transition” – by preparing, through a mentorship, guidance and an internship program – the leaders of tomorrow (young techno-savvy entrepreneurs and students – a.k.a. as Health Tourism protégés).
The initiative has been “seeded” with the first batch of protégés – listed in the Policy and Strategy website.
See: http://www.healthtourismpolicyandstrategy.org/The-Proteges/The-Proteges.htm.
Specific Actions now set in motion
Dr. Constantinides, as GHTC Secretary General, also briefly referred to the specific Actions which have now been set in motion, and include:
- The decision to “domicile” the GHTC (as a Not-for-Profit, Membership-Based Legal Entity) in Istanbul, Turkey
- Clarifying the role and purpose of the GHTC
- Deciding on Membership Eligibility
- Decide on who has the right to Vote
- Imposing an Annual Membership Fee
- Completing the drafted Constitution
- Clearly defining what constitutes a GHTC “stakeholder”
- Putting in place a “Transparency and Disclosure” Policy
