Leaving its negative image in the past, Serbia is beginning to develop its medical tourism industry by trying to attract Westerners with good quality services at competitive prices.

Though it lacks the sun and sand of well-established medical tourism hubs mainly in Asia, Serbia is well positioned close to the EU, with high standards of treatment, the country’s economic ministry told AFP recently.

Stronger investments, however, were needed in order to offer services that would fully satisfy the demands of foreign tourists, the ministry's representatives added.

For the time being, private clinics are at the forefront of the initiative to attract foreigners with cheaper medical treatment, the publication wrote, while public hospitals are presently unable to offer such services, due to the obsolete infrastructure and outdated equipment.