About 800 infertile couples from Russia visit Korean medical institutions every year to undergo in vitro fertilization. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — The popularity of South Korean medical institutions in Russia is increasing day by day.
A Russian media outlet recently reported on the popularity of South Korean medical institutions in an article titled “In vitro fertilization in South Korea.”
According to a news report, about 800 infertile couples from Russia visit Korean medical institutions every year to undergo in vitro fertilization. In particular, the average age of patients visiting Korea for in vitro fertilization is 30.
The average duration of patients’ stay in Korea for treatment is known to be three weeks. Furthermore, the cost of the procedure is about US$6,000.
Korea’s high-quality in vitro fertilization technology performed by professional medical staff with outstanding technical skills has contributed to attracting Russian infertile couples to Korea, according to the report.
The report added that while the success rate of the procedure is higher than in Russia, the in vitro fertilization procedure in Korea does not guarantee a 100 percent success rate.
“Not all families get good results in the first place,” a local medical tourism expert said in an interview. “Some families have succeeded after many attempts.”
Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, foreign patients from 190 different countries visited Korea last year.
In terms of nationality, Russia was the country with the most visitors, accounting for 27,185 patients, followed by China, the United States and Japan, which ranked fourth.
The number of Russian patients who visited Korea last year increased by 9.4 percent from 24,859 in the previous year.
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
