An island city-state located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is known for its clean cities, tropical climate, and warm, welcoming people. Given the promise of medical tourism's 40 billion dollar industry, the Singapore government has ramped up its efforts to attract medical tourists, aiming to serve close to a million overseas patients by the year 2012. So far their endeavors have met with success. According to singaporemedicine.com, Singapore provided medical services to 350,000 tourists in 2005, and in 2004 earned over $836 million in revenue from medical tourism alone.

Singapore's popularity among medical tourists is not unmerited. Internationally, Singapore has earned itself an exemplary reputation in the field of medicine. To date, nine hospitals and two medical centers in Singapore have obtained Joint Commission International (JCI) Accreditation: JCI being the main hospital accreditation agency in the United States. As quoted from a 2006 USA Today, Singapore "is known for delivering cutting-edge medical treatment and attracts medical tourists with its competitively priced services. For example, hip-replacement surgery costs two-thirds less in Singapore than in the United States."

Among the top rated facilities in Singapore are the Raffles International Patients Centre, the National Healthcare Group, and the Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) International Medical Service. The Parkway Group Healthcare International Medical Referral Centre is also a good source for medical tourists, providing a service that helps international patients plan treatments within their three hospitals: Mount Elizabeth, Gleneagles, and East Shore. These three centers represent the first private hospitals in the Asia Pacific to achieve the International Standards Organization's (ISO) 9002 international quality certification. In other words, these hospitals maintain internationally regulated, high-quality care.

Popular plastic surgery clinics include Dr. Martin H. S. Huang's Plastic Surgery Clinic, Dr. Leslie Kuek's Plastic Surgery Clinic, and Dr. Harry Folk's Plastic Surgery Clinic. Other doctors and treatment providers in Singapore can be found on AngloInfo and Singaporemedicine.com. Besides top health care facilities, there are also significant financial benefits for Americans traveling to Singapore for surgery. According to Healthbase, a web-site which connects medical tourists to practitioners, facilitating services from basic medical consultations to complete travel and treatment arrangements abroad, American patients can expect to save over 50% on some of their cosmetic surgery procedures when in Singapore. According to their price quotes, a face lift costing $20,000 in the United States would cost only $6,250 in Singapore, whereas a $7,300 nose job and $8,500 tummy tuck would cost $4,375 and $6,250 respectively.

Given the beautiful surroundings, advanced medical treatments, and significant financial savings, Singapore is not a bad option for Americans seeking affordable, quality healthcare and a great vacation. As stated on Planet Hospital, a web based medical travel agency, "East meets West in the best of all possible ways in Singapore. Its bustling night life, busy shopping districts, museums, zoos, and beautiful architecture make it a premier destination for those who want to experience the best that life has to offer."