QUEBEC - The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac hotel has partnered with a private radiology clinic in Quebec City to offer a "medical tourism package," claiming this is the first of its kind in Canada.

The luxury hotel says clients will receive "VIP treatment" that includes wait-free access to health professionals and state-of-the-art medical equipment.

The package, available only to Canadian residents, includes a minimum two-night stay in the hotel, breakfasts and transportation to the clinic, Radiologie et imagerie medicale de la capitale, seven kilometres away.

The price starts at about $800, said hotel spokesperson Genevieve Parent, and does not include the cost of medical tests, some of which may be covered by private insurance.

Imaging procedures offered include mammography, bone density tests, pulmonary CT scans, abdominal and pelvic ultrasounds, and "virtual colonoscopy" by CT scan.

The idea for the package, launched last month, came from the clinic, which was receiving out-of-town clients and wanted to partner with the hotel, Parent said.

"It's a different offering (from the Frontenac's other packages) but we hope it will respond to a need from some of our guests," she said.

The target market is "the business or leisure client that has a busy life and really doesn't have much time to do these types of exams," Parent said. "There might be wait lists where they live as well."

Dr. Jacques Levesque, director of the clinic and president-elect of the Canadian Association of Radiologists, said the package is the first in Canada focused on medical imaging.

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SEE: International hotels for medical tourism:
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