MPH Ventures Corp. (TSX-V:MPS) (OTCBB:MPSFF)
(Frankfurt:IJA2) (the “Company”) is pleased to announce Travelucion
has signed an exclusive contract to begin international
commercialization and marketing of Cuban medical treatments across
its 432 Cuban related websites. The combination of low cost of
treatment and excellent post-operative rehabilitation centres makes
Cuba an ideal destination for medical tourism. The National Health
System of Cuba, along with its doctors and surgeons, are world
renowned as is Cuban medical research.
Rising healthcare costs in developed countries
like Canada, America and European Nations, coupled with the
availability of high quality medical services at lower prices in
developing nations like Cuba has led to an expansion of the medical
tourism industry. Moreover, a rise in the elderly population along
with an increasing number of uninsured people has further triggered
market growth with patients travelling abroad not only for cosmetic
surgeries with quick recoveries but also for more complex
operations and procedures. According to the Medical Tourism
Association, it was estimated that approximately 1.6 million
Americans travelled to other destinations in 2012 for medical
services and this number is anticipated to grow.
This contract is a significant development as it
positions MPH’s Travelucion within this rapidly growing industry in
addition to expanding and diversifying the current business as an
online travel and digital media company specializing in travel
marketing, electronic reservations and online booking solutions for
international visitors to Cuba. As per the contract, Travelucion
will be paid a 10% commission on all medical procedures and
treatments booked through its websites with procedures ranging in
price from a few hundred dollars up to US +$50,000. To create a
flagship website in conjunction with this contract, MPH’s
Travelucion will completely overhaul one of its existing medical
tourism websites CubanHealth.com which was originally developed in
the year 2000 in partnership with CIMEQ hospital in Havana.
There will be 252 medical procedures and
treatments that will be offered through Travelucion’s websites and
they are all ISO 9001 compliant, employing the latest
state-of-the-art equipment and techniques, ranging from simple
medical checkups and addiction therapy, to major surgeries and
cancer treatments. Some of the treatments available include:
neurological rehabilitation, cancer treatments, organ transplants,
ophthalmic therapies, orthopedic surgery, cardiovascular surgery,
drug and alcohol addiction treatments, as well as treatments for
vitiligo, psoriasis, alopecia, Parkinson’s disease, scoliosis and
many more.
Travelucion will also offer increasing popular
cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures such as: breast
augmentation/reduction, body contouring after major weight loss,
liposuction (including laser and ultrasound assisted procedures),
sclerotherapy, buttock augmentation, botox and dermal fillers,
gynecomastia surgery, rhinoplasty, skin rejuvenation and
resurfacing, facelift surgery, eyelid surgery, as well as hair
transplants and laser removal procedures.
Furthermore, Cuba has become a prominent
location for the latest keyhole surgeries and operations which
incorporate advances in the fields of computers, videos and
endoscopy equipment and made possible through the development of
endoscopic and video-assisted surgeries. These new therapeutic
approaches and operations have revolutionized medical science in
general and in particular surgical specialties.
All services are offered at special wings of
numerous hospitals and health care centres across Havana such as:
Hospital Frank País, Pando Ferrer Hospital, Ramón González Coro
Hospital, Julito Dias Hospital, La Pradera Health Centre, CIREN
Neurological Rehabilitation Hospital, Cira Garcia Hospital, Calixto
Garcia Hospital, Manuel Fajardo Clinic, Joaquin Albarran Clinic and
numerous others across the city. Steve Marshall, CEO of
Travelucion, maintains a keen interest in Cuban Healthcare
demonstrated by his philanthropic initiatives including refitting
of the Pinar del Rio General hospital in 2001 with over $800,000 in
second hand medical equipment and importing containers of
children's toys for the pediatric cancer unit at the Havana William
Soler Hospital in Cuba.
The Medical Tourism Industry and
Cuba:
Medical tourism is a rapidly growing industry
around the world and Travelucion considers Cuba to be one of the
major opening opportunities globally due to its proximity to the
United States and Canada coupled with its timely and less costly
treatment availabilities. Patients will also be able to combine
treatment with an extended stay in Cuba both pre or post
treatment.
Transparency Market Research (TMR), a market
intelligence and research firm, has published a market study on the
global medical tourism market, estimating the total value of the
global medical tourism market by 2019 to be US $32.5 billion. The
market was valued at US $10.5 billion in 2012 and is expected to
expand at an impressive CAGR of 17.9% during the period from 2013
to 2019 according to the research report titled “Medical Tourism
Market – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and
Forecast, 2013 – 2019”. Travelucion estimates that Cuba’s nascent
medical tourism sector could treat tens of thousands of patients
each year generating tens of millions in health care sales, plus
the additional sales related to extended stays, rehabilitation and
vacation time for patients.
About MPH Ventures Corp.:
On October 20th, MPH Ventures announced the
Company had acquired a 20% interest in Travelucion S.L., an online
travel digital media company, with an option for a period of eight
months, to acquire the remaining 80% interest subject to
shareholder and TSX Venture Exchange approval (see News Release
Oct. 20, 2015). Travelucion is a cash-flow positive online travel
digital media company that specializes in travel marketing,
electronic reservations and online booking solutions for
international visitors to Cuba. Travelucion also owns one of the
most significant portfolios of Cuban focused web assets, through
432 sites, which collectively generate over 30 million page-views
per year and direct traffic to the main Travelucion booking
site.
Recent Cuban article printed in the Globe and
Mail:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/latin-american-business/cubas-capacity-limited-by-few-firms-little-infrastructure-and-lots-of-tourists/article27741756/
MPH-Travelucion Presentation:
http://www.mphventurescorp.com/i/pdf/MPS_PPT.pdf
For further information on MPH Ventures Corp.
(TSX-V: MPS) visit the Company’s website at www.mphventurescorp.com
.
MPH Ventures Corp. has approx. 33.3 million
shares issued and outstanding.
MPH VENTURES CORP.
“Jim Pettit”JAMES G. PETTITPresident &
CEO
For further information contact myself or:Don
MyersMPH Ventures Corp.DirectorTelephone: 604-687-3376Toll Free:
800-567-8181Facsimile: 604-687-3119Email:
info@mphventurescorp.com
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS
REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.
This release includes certain statements that
may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in
this release, other than statements of historical facts, that
address events or developments that management of the Company
expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management
believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking
statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are
not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or
developments may differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to
update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs,
estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and
development successes, continued availability of capital and
financing, and general economic, market or business conditions.
Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for
further information.