Medical Tourism Could Boost GB Economy

Major players in Grand Bahama, as well as the government, are doing all they can to turn the island’s economy around.

On Tuesday, Canadian low cost carrier WestJet began its non-stop flights to the island – a move that is expected to bring some 12,000 visitors to Grand Bahama between now and April 2010.

However, Mr. Babak is pushing Grand Bahama to tap into the new market and is taking steps to make it a reality.

"We can create a brand with that. People will spend money on the island. They have to fly in here, use the facilities, the airport… so there is a huge effect on medical tourism. One side is the medical and one side is tourism," he said in an interview with the Journal.

While fueling Grand Bahama’s economy with initiatives to help boost industrialism and tourism is good, Mr. Babak says he also supports creating industries that are recession proof.

"Medical tourism is the perfect sector of business that we can bring and create here in Freeport where we can be the leader in this area of the world and not a follower. So we can be the first one," he said.

"We can attract one of the leading hospitals from the [United] States to come here and that will create not only jobs for the hospital, but jobs indirectly through the hospital. Also, the patients will be accommodated by their spouses and other family members. They can stay for rehab here. If they have a hip operation, they will stay another two or three weeks. They can stay in the hotel [instead of a hospital]."

While it is too early to say whether major medical institutions abroad have bought into the idea, Mr. Babak said that the port authority has so far targeted several hospitals in the United States to see if they are willing to branch out into Grand Bahama.

"We are in talks, but I can’t say anything just yet. I can tell you that there are 10 to 15 top hospitals and we will try to talk to every one of them so that we can see what is the best fit for us," Mr. Babak said.

Mr. Babak was instrumental in sealing the deal for Ross University to become operational in Grand Bahama. He also played a key role in opening Fenstration, a $20 million glass manufacturing company, which employs between 130 to 150 Grand Bahamians.