Medical tourism in the Nordic countries (part 5): Iceland

Iceland is a country of paradoxes. It hasn’t its own army and a public railway system, but there are many hot springs, volcanoes and glaciers + an abundance of fish and seafood. Here, in the realm of geysers and volcanoes, glaciers and lava fields, you can be not only qualitatively treated, but also relax!

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Interesting fact/one more paradox: in spite of cosmically high prices for treatment for local residents, Iceland is actively developing medical tourism. Top-notch doctors, cutting-edge medical technologies, excellent-equipped medical centers – all this attracts patients from all over the world to Iceland. Also customers have a possibility to choose the best ratio of price and quality of treatment using some special online platforms.

Foreign patients are provided with highly qualified services in the field of dentistry, orthopedics, dermatology. The last field of medicine is especially developed because of the amazing healing properties of Icelandic geothermal springs. They are very effective in treatment of psoriasis and other serious skin diseases.

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Health resort “Blue lagoon”, which is annually visited by crowds of tourists, has become a kind of symbol of the country. The waters, mineral salts and healing mud of the lagoon work wonders.

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Also another original method of treatment is common in “the country of lunar landscapes” – patients live in special settlements located in the most beautiful natural corners of Iceland.

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What about Icelandic healthy food? You will be offered to taste a variety of dishes made from the freshest seafood and fish. But beware of trying the national dish hákarl – the  dried meat of the Greenland shark with a very specific smell. Lamb dishes, including smoked sheep’s head, are also popular here, as in Norway. In addition, of course there are a variety of cereals, cottage cheese, thick yogurt “skyr”, soft cheeses. If desired, you can enjoy European cuisine. By the way, Icelanders are fans of good coffee. The local coffee shops have a rule: the first cup for a fee, the following – for free.

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Wish you all the finest health and a bon Icelandic appetite!

Also see my previous posts about medical tourism in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.