One more way of putting Alicante on the map. Salomé López heads up the International Department of the Reproductive Unit at UR Vistahermosa, in which a team of six people have worked for over a decade, with a deployment which reaches out to all the countries in the world and the ability to operate in five different languages.
Salomé López, who occupies the position of International Development Manager, values a personalised service as fundamental when dealing with clients in addition to the many plus points which Alicante offers to people looking for an assisted reproduction treatment beyond their own frontiers.
What does her job entail at the head of the International Department at UR Vistahermosa?
Our work consists in managing all the process with the foreign patients. From the very first point of contact, when they call us or write to us asking for information on fertility treatments. We are the link between doctor and patient, and as such provide a continuous one to one service during the treatment: we organise their tests, their medicine, their trips to and from the hospital… In addition, we closely monitor their treatments several weeks after these have been carried out.
What is the one thing that foreign patients most value when they come to Spain to carry out an Assisted Reproductive treatment?
They value the high quality of the treatments in terms of technology. The quality of the donors, the personalised service, the competitive price, the additional techniques available, the location of the hospital and the climate.
What weight do the infrastructures, location and climate play in decisions which foreigners make when choosing Spain and specifically the cities of Alicante and Valencia ?
They play a important role. They are hospitals which are located in cities with international airports, and as such finding flights is easy. The airports are close to the city centre, which facilitates movement and they are cities with practically 300 days of sunshine per year and temperatures which don’t drop below 7 – 10 degrees. In the end the treatment becomes a pleasant trip in which one can also rest.
Which are the nationalities which most visit UR International Vistahermosa?
Mainly, English and Irish. We also have Austrians, Swiss, Italians, Dutch, Germans, Scandinavians, Australians, Americans, Canadians and even patients from Arab Emirates and other countries in that region.
Which is the most exotic or remote country from which you have had a patient?
Up to now, Japan.
What would you say is key to ensuring that a patient has a completely satisfactory experience?
Offering a complete service. We provide personalised attention so that the patient feels taken care of during the treatment, and doesn’t feel like a number at any moment. For example, answering any doubts , however unimportant they may seem, as undergoing these types of treatment can be extremely stressful for the patient. We help them getting around, reserving accommodation, as they’re far from home, and this takes away a bit of the stress due to the language and also due to the fact that they’re not on home ground. We also make it easy for them to buy the medicine or to communicate with their own doctors to carry out the necessary techniques in their countries of origin.
From all the cases which you’ve dealt with, would you say that one stands out as special?
Although all the cases have a story to tell, there is one that stands out. A patient from Dubai started having a FIV. Due to the medical malpractice of her doctors there, she ended up needing a donation of oocytes. The most important thing is that she felt supported at all times during the process in spite of the distance, and consequently even though the pregnancy was not possible , she felt satisfied on having tried, as she was aware that we had used all the resources and procedures which were necessary.
