A model showcases a PDA carried by an iButler, an assistant that serves medical travelers through a new multimedia platform called Fly Free For Health, which blends healthcare with lifestyle options. (JP/Stevie Emilia)

A beautiful woman in a nurse-like uniform carrying the latest PDA greets you at the airport, escorts you to your limo and takes you to the doctor of your choice without the hassle of waiting.

Once you have done with the medical treatment -- whether it is aesthetic medicine, breast care, cell therapy, cosmetic surgery, eye care, reproductive healthcare or weight management -- she will take you anywhere you want to go.

She is the iButler.

Specially trained for the job, she will be able to perform multiple roles -- such as a guide to health, restaurants, tours, spas and shopping as well as a translator.

"Medical butlers will be the first true hybrid service provider for the medical tourism industry," said director of Singapore's Medical Tourism Academy, Walter Lee.

The academy trains the would-be butlers with basic information through IT and communication skills.

The iButler is a pioneering initiative introduced by a new multimedia platform that combines healthcare and lifestyle services at a click of a mouse

The borderless multimedia platform, FlyFreeForHealth (www.flyfreeforhealth.com), boasts one-stop access to top class healthcare providers and a range of travel, leisure and lifestyle incentives via its lists of partners to enhance a medical traveler's experience.

"The iButler serves to close the human resource gap between healthcare and lifestyle providers while meeting the needs and demands of medical travelers," said the platform's inventor, Dr. Wei Siang Yu.

With the online services, one can pick a renowned doctor in Singapore or Thailand and receive attractive offers in return -- discounted airfares, hotels, spas as well as shopping vouchers.

Indonesian celebrities, like singer-songwriter Tere and model-actress Diah Permata Sari, were among the first to taste the borderless services.

"Health is a choice... It feels great being pampered after taking care of your health," Diah said.

Tere, who had Lasik eye surgery in Singapore, was very happy to get vouchers and airfare discounts from the service.

"Lasik is like having new life. As a songwriter and musician, now I feel free when performing, traveling and doing photo sessions. Without contacts and glasses, I feel more confident, liberated and sexy...."

Wei said the multimedia platform is designed as a consumer-centered integrated medical tourism service, leaving the choice up to the medical travelers.

He said that currently, many hospitals in the region go for medical tourists but none were making a true convergence between the ultimate health services and lifestyle.

"It's no longer about knowing what they (medical travelers) want... but it's about giving them the choice," Wei said.

He said that today's consumers are not only concerned about the level of diagnostic care they receive but are adopting preventive health as part of their lifestyle to combat common health issues.

And raising awareness has pushed demand for better choices for healthcare and the multimedia platform, which is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, aims to meet the demand.

With more than 30 countries in the medical tourism and travel industry, the present global medical tourism market is estimated to be in the range of US$40 to $60 billion and is experiencing an annual growth rate of 20 percent, according to businessworldindia.com.

A Saudi Arabian report pointed out that in 2000, medical travelers from the Gulf region alone spent over $27 billion seeking treatments in various countries worldwide.

The burgeoning medical tourism market is projected to grow into a $188 billion global business by 2013, according to the International Trade Commission in Geneva.

"Today, we are seeing an increasing umber of patents who are willing to travel to different parts of the world to seek quality healthcare and medical treatments while at the same time, experience what the country has to offer...," said Khun Pornthip Makornpan, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand, in Singapore.

Publicly listed Phyathai hospital, one of the largest hospital groups in Thailand, with numerous specialty centers, and some of Singapore's more reputable specialists are supporting the platform.

Popular retailers like Watsons as well as hotel group Starwood Hotels and Resorts have jumped on the bandwagon.

The Singapore specialists include Leslie Kuek, a certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon; senior consultant obstetrician and gynecologist Suresh Nair; and plastic surgeon Marco Faria-Correa.

Wei said the services are poised to take advantage of the tremendous upswing in Asia's medical tourism, fueled by the advent of low-cost flights and higher individual mobility as well as global disparities in healthcare systems.

"Given the U.S. recession, and an increasingly inefficient healthcare system in Europe, the launch of FlyFreeForHealth is definitely well-timed to meet the demands of these medical travelers."

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