Health tourists are coming to Moldova, and the world is noticing

The most extensive dental lab, better fertility treatment, and California-credited medical studies—Moldova is playing big in the health sector. 

Twelve years ago, a young Moldovan graduate, Vadim Vetrilă, was handing out fliers in Venice. “Come and fix your teeth in Moldova!” he would urge passers-by. “Moldova?” Italians asked him, puzzled. “What is that?”

Before Vetrilă started studying dentistry, all his family left Moldova to work in Italy. It became Vadim’s mission to show them that Moldova, too, could be a place to dream. “Everyone told me it won’t work,” Vadim recalled those early days: “Why do you waste money on fliers? Better buy a new car,” they said. He knew he had to start with putting his country on a map first. 

He dreamed of building the biggest dental clinic in Moldova, bringing in patients from around the world. Vadim already saw what many couldn’t envision. 

Back then, people may not have known much about Moldova and it’s dental clinics, but now, over 70 per cent of Moldovan dental patients are foreigners, mainly from Italy, France, and the US. 

Why Moldova?

Today, Moldova is internationally recognised as a health tourism destination, and the sector is growing rapidly. In 2022, medical tourism contributed almost 50 million euros to the economy, and in 2024, a 30 per cent increase is expected. Moldova’s ambition is also seen on the global stage.  

Incredibly, for such a new player in the field, Moldova was already recognised and selected to lead the Global Healthcare Travel Council (GHTC) for two years. Moldova competed with Germany and Saudi Arabia for the presidency and won. 

“Moldova has good prices and visa-free travel for many countries,” Natalia Ciobanu, a president of the Medical Tourism Association of Moldova and president of GHTC, proudly said in her Chisinau office. Medical education is of high quality, too, she pointed out.

The dental school at the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, was granted full approval by the Dental Board of California in 2018, becoming the first such English-language dental school outside the US. 

Besides fixing their teeth, foreigners also fly over for fertility, spa treatments or plastic surgery. Moldovan fertility doctors’ success rate exceeds 40 per cent, higher than the average European, according to the Medical Tourism Association of Moldova. Popular surgeries include breast surgery and facelifts. 

Ciobanu wants to grow medical tourism into one of the biggest industries in Moldova. Economically, it makes sense. “An average tourist visiting Moldova would spend around 2,000 euros while someone coming to fix their teeth would spend 10,000 euros,” she explained. The economic benefits for the country are clear, in her view. 

In September, the first Medical Tourism Exhibition was held in Chisinau. Next year, the Global Healthcare Travel Forum will occur here, and 56 countries will be represented. Chisinau will be filled with medical experts. 

Facts about Moldova’s medical tourism:

• Over 36,000 international patients come to Moldova for medical services every year. 60 per cent of them come to fix their teeth.
• The medical tourism sector is expected to grow by 30 per cent in 2024, bringing over 50 million euros into the economy.
• Medical tourism covers five per cent of the market, with estimates of growth to 20 per cent by 2030.
• Moldova has over 300 clinics equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

Source: Medical Tourism Association of Moldova

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