O-Bits: Oh, The Places You’ll Go Edition

The death of a 31-year-old Australian  at a Malaysian medical center after traveling there for an “extreme make-over” at a boutique medical facility had led to the nation’s coroner to warn what he called “medical tourists” from going to third-world nations for medical care. Leigh Aiple had  a “360 degree tummy tuck, extensive liposuction, an upper eye lift, a chin tuck, a thigh lift, chest sculpting and lip filler” over a period of two days. Although he complained of shortness of breath, a rapid heartbeat, and fainting spells, he was given the all clear to leave, and collapsed a died a day later.

Don’t tell that to Dr. Hani Al-Nazer. The Egyptian medical researcher has built medical centers and discovered treatments that have modernized Egyptian medical care, the Egyptian Daily News reports. He predicts that within two to three years, the use of gold molecules in the treatment of cancer will be approved for use in humans. The early results “is going very well”, he says, and will put Egypt on the medical tourism map.

If you don’t think that’s important, the India Times claims that by 2020, medical tourism in India will net the nation over two billion dollars a year. That’s billion. And US Dollars. I’m waiting for the Department of  Indian Tourism  to  unveil their new slogan: India: Come for Calcutta Stay To Get Cut”

Steven Mirkin

Steven Mirkin’s diverse career has taken him from politics to pop culture to high art, offering him a front row seat to some of the most fascinating events and personalities of our time: writing speeches, fundraising appeals and campaign materials for Ed Koch, John Heinz and independent presidential candidate John B. Anderson; chronicling the punk/new wave scenes in New York and London; interviewing musicians such as Elton John, John Lydon and Buck Owens; profiling modern masters Julian Schnabel, Paul Schrader and Jonathan Safran Foer; and writing for TV shows including 21, The Chamber, Let's Make A Deal, and Rock Star: INXS.