Are there agencies that oversee the standards of care in countries providing medical travel?

The answers depends on the interpretation of the word oversee.

In the US, the Joint Commission International (JCI) that reviews international hospitals on an invitation basis. If the facility meets preset standards for patient care and safety, quality controls, lab and radiology processes, and other important benchmarks to ensure your care is comparable to the United States; then it is a certified. 

The Council of Trent Accreditation Scheme is a UK based not-for-profit organization that serves a similar function to the JCI. It appears to play a similar role in certifying a hospital or organization outside the UK has comparable care.

There is no enforcement ability per se, except removal of the certification. This can mean significant loss in patient volume. The impact of a loss of certification may not be as powerful an indicator to medical travelers who arrive from countries other than the United States. It is important to understand that these organizations can not impose their standards on destination hospitals. 

These organizations are working to ensure that quality is the lead benchmark indicator. The presence of their certification should be reassuring, but not a guarantee of perfection. They are essential and contribute tremendously to the global growth of the industry. 

Jim McCormick, MD

Premiere Medical Travel