TODAY (Thursday) sees the start of the Pan African Health Tourism Congress (PAHTC 2017), the first of its kind on the African continent.
The two-day congress, hosted by the City of uMhlathuze, is being held at the Umfolozi Casino Resort in Empangeni.
More than 300 guest,s including international dignitaries, medical experts, organisations and associations in the health tourism sector, as well as local role players, will deliberate on health tourism development and align it with government prescripts.
In welcoming the delegates, the City Mayor Cllr Mduduzi Mhlongo, said, ‘We are specifically welcoming the high level delegation from the Global Health Tourism Industry, ministers from our neighbouring countries and esteemed domestic and global stakeholders and partners, as well as the media.
‘This congress, taking place in our own backyard, presents to us new economic and tourism growth opportunities that we thought are far from us as the City of uMhlathuze.
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‘This is an eye-opener congress and sooner than we know, we will reap positive economic spin-offs from it.
‘We are about to open a new private hospital in the John Ross Eco-junction precinct and our flagship Netcare The Bay Hospital is expanding to accommodate more beds, coupled with the three approved medical facilities.
‘The City of uMhlathuze will become a medical hub of the northern parts of KZN.
‘With the city positioning itself as a medical tourism destination, more countries will develop interest in our tourism offering.
‘We are already playing a critical role in providing medical and a variety of other services to neighbouring countries such as Swaziland, Mozambique and Malawi,’ said Mhlongo.
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