Marianna Fortoma: Cyprus has to become more competitive with the medical tourism package it offers

Cyprus is much closer than ever before to reaching the target of becoming a medical tourism hub, but there is still a long way to go, according to Marianna Fortoma, Marketing & Business Development Manager at Ygia Polyclinic.

In an interview with CBN, she says the island must become more competitive in terms of its medical tourism package, suggesting for example campaigns that focus on Silver Tourism (50+ ages), who are more likely to combine their holidays with a check-up, or even surgery. She also talks about her role at Ygia Polyclinic, and explains how marketing is important in healthcare.

Can you tell us about yourself and your experience in the healthcare and marketing sectors?

I am in the Marketing sector since 1996, so for the last 28 years. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MA in Media, Communication and PR from Leicester University. Back in 1996, I was lucky enough to join a Business Consultant company, INITIA SA, which was run by a person that became my mentor. He trusted me enough to authorise me to manage projects of substantial budgets and great responsibility, which helped me mature professionally and gain experience in many different fields, such as EU projects’ submission, implementation and coordination, transnational partnerships, budgeting and reporting, managing public sector projects, designing and implementing corporate marketing and communication strategies, as well as political marketing. Nevertheless, the big economic crisis in Greece, led me to leave this company and Greece and relocate permanently to Cyprus, in November, 2011, joining a Consultant’s company in Limassol, as Marketing, Communications and PR Manager.

From 2015 until now, I have been working in the Healthcare sector and the last three years, I am blessed to belong to the big family of YGIA Polyclinic, with 560 employees, as the Marketing and Business Development Manager.

I feel blessed, because YGIA is an equal employer, motivating employees to develop through training and experience gained in a continuous evolving environment.

How important is marketing in healthcare? Are there strict guidelines to be adhered to?

There are guidelines and laws, but in my point of view, it is not the important part of marketing in healthcare. My personal navigator is ethics when it comes to people’s health and marketing. Information shared should not be misleading or give promises that cannot be kept. Information should be accurate, without using tactics that might manipulate patients’ decisions or feelings. So, promoting healthcare services keeping patients’ rights in focus, can be very challenging but at the same time very fulfilling. I am proud to say that YGIA Polyclinic has a patient-centred approach in every aspect of its operations, including Marketing.

How close do you believe the island is to reaching the target of becoming a medical tourism hub?

I would say, much closer than before, but there is still a long way to go. We do have to become more competitive regarding the medical tourism package we offer, as a whole. Health providers need to sit together with the tourism sector and design competitive medical tourism packages, including health services and concierge and promote Cyprus as a medical tourism hub irrespectively of which facility the patient will choose. For example, we need to design campaigns concentrated on Silver Tourism (50+ ages). Tourists over 50 are more likely to combine their holidays with a check-up, or even with a surgery, once we share the information that will motivate them. Nevertheless, we tend to neglect these ages, instead of embracing them.

What is your view of the healthcare sector overall in Cyprus, now the General Health System (GHS) is in full force? Do you think the addition of the private sector has been successful?

The addition of the private sector has enabled patients’ access to high quality health services, giving them a choice.

Since its establishment, the GHS has made major improvements, such as issuing quality standards and relating them with the fees (DRGs) and implementing audits to minimise fraud. We need to take into account that Cyprus’ GHS is relatively new and if compared to countries that have been running their National Healthcare System for decades, it is doing well. There are definitely issues that need to improve, such as referrals to specialists and long waiting lists for certain specialisations; but I am confident that things will further improve.

Ygia Polyclinic is about to mark its one-year anniversary since joining the GHS. What has the past year been like?

Challenging in one word! It has been a Business transformation I would say. The patients’ flow has dramatically increased and in order to keep our quality standards as high as before, we had to recruit more than 50 in-house doctors, update our network of associate doctors, recruit more nursing and administrative staff, acquire new equipment, as well as proceed with internal changes in our facilities. Last but not least, all our employees and associate doctors had to be trained in using GHS computer systems and submitting claims.

Nevertheless, the fact that our Management had strategically designed our transition to the GHS, made things much easier and adaptation to the new reality did not take more than two months.

Can you tell us about Ygia Polyclinic and the healthcare services it offers?

YGIA Polyclinic was founded in 1983, while it started its operation in 1987. With a network of 180 associate doctors from all specialties, 7 operating rooms, 2 additional delivery rooms, a fully equipped Catheterisation Unit, its Intensive Care Unit, Maternity Department, Paediatrics Department, Ophthalmology Department, the 24-hour Emergency Department and its state-of-the-art Diagnostic Department (MRI, CT, Xray & Ultrasound, Breast Center, Labs, Endoscopy), YGIA Polyclinic, has been established since its foundation as the first choice, both for patients and for physicians.

The primary goal and mission of YGIA Polyclinic was and remains, the contribution to society and its patients, while its vision is to continue being a pioneer in the field of healthcare, in terms of providing top quality medical services that ensure safety, satisfaction and treating the patient in the best possible way.

YGIA joined the GHS in September 2023 and is providing its full range of services under it, including the Accidents and Emergency Department, 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

How have things been for Ygia Polyclinic since ECM Partners took over the majority stake? Have there been any changes?

The acquisition by ECM Partners together with joining the GHS marked a new era for YGIA Polyclinic. From the beginning, YGIA employees have felt secure and that they belong to a stable environment. As for the changes, I would say only minor ones, such as restructuring between departments and some new procedures. Thankfully YGIA’s accreditation and certifications have ensured its organised operation, following certain processes and procedures, so the transition to the new era has been smooth.

Ygia Polyclinic prides itself in being a certified Employer of Equality, offering people from all walks of life equal employment opportunities. Can you tell us more about this?

In December 2022, we were accredited by the National Certification Body for the implementation of Good Practices on Gender Equality in The Working Environment (Ministry of Labour) – as Equality Employer.

For YGIA Polyclinic, the 560 people of its human resources are its main competitive advantage. For this very reason, our strategy has been structured in such a way as to protect this "advantage" while simultaneously investing in its development. After all, it is part of our corporate culture and our Management’s belief that the development of YGIA’s employees is highly correlated with the development of our Organisation.