Russia and CIS: The next big thing?

Dr Sergei Vaganov FRCA DEAAConsultant Anaesthetist

Market?

• Russia: 146 mln; 6th largest economy;18000$ per capita (rich country)

• Kazakhstan: 17 mln; 13000$ per capita

• Azerbaijan: 9.3 mln; 10000$ per capita

Russia• 200 000 Russians per year travel abroad for

medical purpose

• 2.5 billion $

• Israel/Germany

• France/Belgium/Spain/India &China

• Oncology/Cardiology/Orthopaedics/Neurosurgery/Spinal surgery

How does it happen?• Internet search engines ( Russia -based:

www.yandex.ru)

• Relatives and friends ( most trusted way)

• Treating medical doctor (family doctor) in Russia

• Insurance companies and big corporations (Russian Railways, Gasprom etc)

Russia: historical aspect

• Soviet State medicine

• Focus on prophylaxis

• Strong believe in an alternative medicine

• Polyclinics/ high Doctor:Patient ratio

• Doctor-based search, BUT Clinic-based treatment

• General dissatisfaction and decline of Trust in Russian medicine due do chaos of post-soviet era

"The Russian patient"• "Brought up" in a state-run medical environment of a

soviet era.

• Medically relatively well-educated

• Speaks basic English if any

• Looking for "the best" doctor...

• High trust in a treating physician

• Used to "doctor's attention". (Please give them more time..!)

• Slightly overweight

Why not UK?• UK has a state medicine =bad image

• British Visa issue!

• Lack of Russian -speaking consultants/services

• Lack of understanding of The British medical system

• Relatively expensive to the rest of Europe

• Poor political relations between UK and Russia

Is there a future?

• Lack of highly trained doctors and nurses

• Russia is a big country, best facilities are in Moscow!

• Better marketing of British Medicine and British medical facilities! The Russians don't know you!

• UK-based Russian community