IMF delegates given botox offer

Botox injections partially paralyse facial muscles

Delegates at the IMF's annual meeting in Singapore not only have the chance to smooth over tough financial issues but also the wrinkles on their faces.

Instead of frowning and fretting, Singapore's Raffles Hospital wants the 16,000 delegates and their partners to take time to refresh their looks.

To lure image conscious economists and boost the city's medical tourism, the firm said it was nipping and tucking prices and had cut the cost of botox injections and health screening by 10%.

Botox treatments have proven very popular among US and European consumers as they temporarily remove wrinkles by paralysing facial muscles.

Delegates are gathering in Singapore for the IMF and World Bank's annual meetings, which start on 19 September.

"A lot of the delegates come from first-world countries such as Europe and the US, where such treatments can be very expensive," said a hospital spokesperson.

The Raffles Hospital offer applies to treatments including botox injections, which cost 160 Singapore dollars ($100; £53), and to health screenings, that can cost as much as S$1,443.

Around 200,000 people come to Singapore for medical services annually, with over half coming from Indonesia.