I-Asia ibonwa njengesikhungo sokukhula kokuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kwezinsizakalo zezempilo ngenxa yokwanda kwesidingo esivela emazweni athuthukile kanye nesigaba esimaphakathi esikhulayo sesifunda. Kepha kunokukhathazeka ngokuthi lokho okubizwa ngezokuvakasha kwezokwelapha kuzosusa izinsiza zisuka ezinhlelweni zokunakekelwa kwezempilo zomphakathi ziyiswe ezizimele.
Esikhathini esiningi seminyaka eyi-10 edlule i-Thailand ihole imakethe yezokuvakasha yezokwelapha ekhulayo, njengoba abantu bangaphandle bafuna izinsizakalo zezempilo ezingabizi kakhulu kanye nokufinyelela okulungele ukwelashwa.
Izinsizakalo ezitholakalayo zisukela ekuhlinzweni kwenhliziyo okuyinkimbinkimbi, ukuya ekuhlinzweni kwezimonyo kuye kudokotela wamazinyo ngisho nokunakekelwa okuhlukile, njengokwelashwa kwamaShayina, i-yoga kanye nokwelashwa kwe-Ayurvedic yendabuko.
Ukukhuphuka kohambo lwamazwe ngamazwe kanye nokutholakala kolwazi ku-inthanethi kukhuphule inani labahambi abafuna ukwelashwa.
E-Thailand, kufika izivakashi eziyizigidi ezingu-1.4 zizofuna usizo lwezokwelapha ngo-2007, izinombolo zonyaka wakamuva ziyatholakala - zisuka kungxenye yesigidi ngo-2001. uMnyango Wezempilo ulindele abavakashi bezokwelapha abangaphezu kwezigidi ezimbili.
Amanani amakhulu kakhulu avela e-European Union, alandelwe yi-Middle East kanye ne-United States.
UKenneth Mays, umqondisi wezokumaketha wamazwe ngamazwe weSibhedlela Samazwe Ngamazwe SaseBumrungrad eBangkok, uthi izinga eliphezulu lokunakekelwa kube ikhadi lokudweba.
“I-Thailand inikeza inhlanganisela ekahle kakhulu yekhwalithi yezokwelapha kanye nekhwalithi yesevisi. Zikhona zombili izibhedlela ezizimele kanye nezikahulumeni futhi kugqugquzelwa ngabathengi ngoba iningi labantu lizikhokhela ukunakekelwa kwezempilo. Abantu baseMelika bazoza lapha ngoba kubiza ngamaphesenti angama-60 kuye kwangama-80 ukwelashwa okufanayo,” kusho uMays.
Kepha iThailand ibhekene nokuncintisana okukhulayo njengoba amazwe amaningi etshala imali ezinsizeni zezokwelapha. ISingapore, iMalaysia, iSouth Korea kanye nePhilippines zonke zithuthukisa ezokuvakasha kwezokwelapha.
URuben Toral, isikhulu esiphezulu senkampani yezempilo i-Medeguide, uthi abantu abaningi bazokala izindleko eziphansi uma beqhathanisa neziqinisekiso zekhwalithi lapho bekhetha izindawo zokwelashwa.
“Uzokhokhela iSingapore kodwa wazi kahle ukuthi uzozuzani. Uma ufuna iziqinisekiso eziphelele, uya eSingapore. Uma ufuna inani eliphelele, uya eNdiya. I-Thailand neMalaysia njengamanje zimele imidlalo esezingeni eliphezulu, isevisi enhle, umkhiqizo omuhle,” kusho uToral.
Uthi i-medical tourism ingase ikhule.
“I-Asia izoba futhi izoqhubeka nokuba namandla kwezokuvakasha kwezokwelapha. Kungani? Ngoba kulapho uthola khona inombolo yokuqala inani labantu emhlabeni - phakathi kweNdiya neChina lapho onakho, izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zabantu abasanda kuzinza kule ndawo. Yilapho futhi unemakethe enkulu esafufusa esezingeni eliphakathi,” kusho yena.
UToral uthi iziguli eziguga ezivela eNyakatho Melika, eYurophu, e-Australia naseJapan nazo zizobheka izindawo ezinokufinyelela okuningi ekunakekelweni okunezindleko eziphansi.
Kepha kunokukhathazeka ngokuthi ukwanda kokutshalwa kwezimali ezinsizeni zezokwelapha kwabacebile kuzodonsa izinsiza ezibhedlela zikahulumeni zakulesi sifunda.
Abagxeki bathi izikhungo zezempilo eziningi zikahulumeni sezingaphansi kwengcindezi futhi besaba ukuthi ochwepheshe abaningi bazolushiya uhlelo lukahulumeni ukuze basebenze ezimele.
U-Viroj Na Ranong, isazi sezomnotho ne-Thailand Development Research Institute, i-ejensi yokucwaninga ngenqubomgomo, unovalo lokuthi izinguquko ziyaqhubeka.
“Uma uqhathanisa amandla okuthenga - amandla okuthenga angaphandle angaba phezulu kakhulu kunamandla okuthenga asezingeni eliphakathi noma aphezulu e-Thailand. Lolu wudaba olubalulekile uma kwenzeka kuqubuka iziguli zakwamanye amazwe udokotela uzodonseka ezinkampanini ezizimele,” kusho uViroj Na Ranong.
I-National Health Commission yaseThailand ibika ukuthi inqwaba yochwepheshe bezokwelapha sebesukile ohlelweni lukahulumeni baya ekunakekelweni kwezempilo okuzimele.
INational Institute of Development Administration ithi ezokuvakasha kwezokwelapha zenze kwaba nokushoda kodokotela, odokotela bamazinyo kanye nabahlengikazi ezikhungweni zikahulumeni.
Kodwa iMays yaseBumrungrad iyangabaza lezo zimangalo.
“Ayihambisani nezibalo ezibucayi ngoba iThailand ibona abahambi bezokwelapha ababalelwa ezigidini eziyi-1.4 abavela ngaphandle. Lokho kuyingxenyana yenani eliphelele lokuvakashela odokotela futhi bavume [ukwemukelwa] okuvela kwaThais uqobo,” kusho uMays. "Kubaluleke kakhulu emnothweni wezwe futhi kunenzuzo enkulu ezweni - kodwa asicabangi ukuthi kuthatha ingxenye enkulu yezinsiza noma izinsiza eziningi ezivela eThailand uqobo."
UMay uthi ngenxa yokwandisa ukunakekelwa kwezempilo okuzimele eThailand - kanye nemikhawulo kodokotela bakwamanye amazwe abasebenza ezweni - sekube nokuhlehla kobuchopho; Abasebenzi bezokwelapha baseThailand abaqashwe phesheya kwezilwandle babuyela ekhaya.
Abanye ongoti bezempilo bathi abaningi babamba itoho ezibhedlela ezizimele futhi basebenza nasezibhedlela zikahulumeni.
Abahlaziyi abaningana bemboni yezokwelapha bathi ukukhula kwamandla ezomnotho e-Asia kanye nokwanda kokutshalwa kwezimali ezinsizeni zezempilo kuzokwazi ukuhlangabezana nesidingo sokunakekelwa okuthengekayo kokubili kubantu bakulesi sifunda kanye nakubahambi bomhlaba.
