Quick Fare Quote

  Name  
  From:
   
  To:
   
  Departure :
   
  Return:
   
  No.of Travellers :
   
  Cabin:
   
  Airline Choice:
   
  Special Instructions:
   
  
   



Speaking on the subject “How an institute should prepare itself for medical tourism” Dr Bhaskar Shah, said, “The scope and concept of Medical Tourism (MT) has today transgressed and evolved from healing by mineral and hot spring in the Neolithic and Bronze Age to today’s health farms. India is hoping to expand its tourist industry to include visitors with heart conditions and cataracts. Indeed, MT where foreigners travel abroad in search of low cost, world-class medical treatment is gaining popularity in countries like India.

The concept is likely to have broad consumer appeal, if people can overcome their prejudices about healthcare in developing countries. More and more tourists are choosing India as their medical treatment destination because it has a rich cultural heritage and innumerable tourist destinations. The other advantages are that most of metros have good infrastructure, majority of population speak English and Indian surgeons have world class skills and surgical exposure, he added.

India should provide the best of Eastern and Westerm healthcare systems. Ayurveda, Yoga and Siddha can be India’s gift to the world. “Ayurveda is recognised as an official healthcare system in Hungary. Doctors in the West are increasingly prescribing Indian Systems of Medicine. More than 70 per cent of the American population prefer a natural approach to health,” he added. Americans are said to spend around USD 25 bn on non-traditional medical therapies and products.

Low-cost cardiac surgery in India costs USD 4,000 – 9,000 and in the US as high as USD 30,000 – 50,000 and orthopaedic surgery costs as low as USD 4,500 with a corresponding surgery in the US with USD 18,000. Besides this, the cost Comprehensive Health Check-up for US patient in India is USD 80, which costs USD 600 in the US. The MT business has gained more strength in the context of National Health Policy declaring treating of foreign patients an ‘export’ and therefore eligible for fiscal incentives on export earnings. Further deregulation makes it easier to import most modern medical equipment. “Some of the challenges in MT which need to be addressed are the perceived lack of regulation in the healthcare industries, perceived lack of controls and loopholes in the regulation of medical professionals and perceived widespread of unethical professional behaviour and lack of infrastructure facilities,” concluded Dr Shah.