Bogotá launches health tourism project

The city authorities in Bogotá have launched an ambitious project designed to convince their fellow Latin Americans that, despite the city's reputation for violence, visiting the Colombian capital can actually be good for their health.

The Capital Health project plans to capitalise on Bogotá's high quality medical services to attract patients to the city from neighbouring countries such as Ecuador, Venezuela, and Panama. The long term aim is to establish the city as Latin America's premier healthcare centre.

At present Latin Americans needing specialist care unavailable in their own countries have to travel, if they can afford it, to Miami or Cuba. Bogotá's …