Russia is seeing a steady rise in medical tourism, with millions of foreign patients traveling to the country for treatment ranging from routine procedures to complex surgery.
More than 28 million foreign nationals, including over 2 million children, have received medical care in Russia over the past six years, according to official figures. Authorities say the medical sector is expanding by more than 20% annually.
Among them is Luna Fenner, an American girl who was born with a giant melanocytic nevus covering much of her face, dubbed a “Batman mask.”
Russian doctors have now completed the main phase of treatment to remove the potentially cancerous birthmark, allowing Luna and her family to return home to the USA. Further cosmetic procedures are planned in two to three years.
Another widely reported case involved Canadian psychologist and author Jordan Peterson.
In 2020, his family brought him to Moscow for emergency treatment after he developed severe physical dependence on benzodiazepines, a class of prescription drugs commonly used to treat anxiety and insomnia.
Peterson later said Russian doctors helped stabilize his condition after previous attempts at treatment in North America had failed. Competitive prices, advanced technology and highly trained specialists are drawing patients from around the world.
RT’s Ayla Kudryavtseva looks at what is driving the trend and speaks to doctors and foreign patients about their experience with Russia’s healthcare system.
RT. com / ABC Flash point News 2026.
There are specific medical treatments for life threating conditions such as chronic radiation sickness, that the US actually has forbidden doctors and hospitals to treat in the USA. Russian physicians would likely be appalled, from what I have studied about Russian medicine 34 years ago. Russia actually did treat severe Brachial Clef birth nerve injuries as well, instead of making the newborn and his/her parents suffer the infant’s agony and remain with a disfiguring/dysfunctional injury for life. Up until February 2022, Russian medical clinics would still converse and entertain discussions with US citizens. Subsequent to Feb 2022, clinics would only… Read more »
Russia is fortunate — well, not lucky, they just tend to do things right which creates its own luck.
While some nations have limited health care abilities, that of the USA is increasingly constrained by extremely high systemic costs that are sustained by collusion between insurers, intermediaries and providers (including Drug companies and Pharmacies) while the FDA insures that the system is not challenged or bypassed.
The result is runaway costs and lack of patient control over their own health.