VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 18,
2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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. PETTIT
President & CEO
For further information contact
myself or:
Don Myers
MPH Ventures Corp.
Director
Telephone: 604-687-3376
Toll Free: 800-567-8181
Facsimile: 604-687-3119
Email: 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.
This
announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on
behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely
responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the
information contained therein.
Source: MPH Ventures Corp. via Globenewswire
HUG#1974649
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