| Medical tourism is the provision of competitively | | | | As more and more patients from nations with |
| priced private medical care in collaboration with | | | | high Medicare costs look for medical tourism |
| the tourism industry. | | | | options, India has competition namely from |
| Patients can travel to India for surgery and other | | | | Thailand, Singapore and other Asian countries. |
| forms of healthcare and pay less than patients | | | | They have good hospitals, attractive climates and |
| who stay in their own country. | | | | are established tourist destinations. While these |
| Other highly attractive benefits include: The | | | | countries with their advanced medical facilities and |
| opportunity for patients to avoid long waiting lists | | | | medical tourism options have been drawing |
| and with the savings they make, get a holiday | | | | overseas healthcare traffic, India is and looks set |
| included in the package. | | | | to, expand at a faster rate. |
| Medical tourists are an expanding group and one | | | | India's World Class Healthcare Facilities |
| of the leaders in the field is India. | | | | Indian corporate hospitals are comparable to |
| The Growth of Medical Tourism in India | | | | hospitals anywhere in the world. In fact, India |
| India's healthcare industry is already growing at 30 | | | | offers world-class medical facilities that are |
| per cent annually. The area has shown such | | | | comparable with the US or UK. |
| growth potential that Indian finance minister | | | | There is already a high concentration of |
| Jaswant Singh, called recently for India to become | | | | expatriate Indian medical staff working in the US |
| a "global health destination." His enthusiasm for | | | | and UK, as well as many other countries. This |
| making medical tourism in India a major foreign | | | | gives patients confidence in the healthcare offered |
| exchange revenue earner has broad based | | | | by India generally as they are already used to the |
| support among local government and industry. | | | | expertise and professionalism of Indian medical |
| The ministry of tourism has shown interest, but | | | | staff. This is a major, but often overlooked factor |
| so to have the various state tourism boards and | | | | in the growth of medical tourism in India. |
| the private sector consisting of travel agents, | | | | Medical Tourism Costs |
| tour operators and hotel companies. All are looking | | | | Medical tourism in India's main appeal is low-cost |
| at healthcare and medical tourism in India as an | | | | treatment. Most estimates claim treatment costs |
| area with tremendous growth potential. | | | | in India start at around a tenth of the price of |
| A newspaper article recently in "India Abroad," | | | | comparable treatment in the US or UK and cover |
| showed the potential for medical tourism, when it | | | | a wide spectrum of areas from, cosmetic |
| outlined a deal, where India could earn more than | | | | surgery and major operations, to preventative |
| $1 billion annually and creates 40 million new jobs | | | | screening. |
| by sub-contracting work from the British National | | | | Medical Tourism in India and the Holiday of a |
| Health Service. The deal would have broad appeal. | | | | Lifetime |
| It would slash waiting times dramatically in the UK | | | | Of course, you can get hugely reduced healthcare |
| and create huge savings in time and money for | | | | in India, but medical tourists can also enjoy a |
| patients. | | | | holiday in a country that has a huge diversity of |
| The potential for medical tourism in India from the | | | | holiday options, from the beaches of Goa, to the |
| US and UK looks set for major growth, as India | | | | mighty Himalayas, diverse wildlife and thousands |
| becomes a preferred destination for medical | | | | of years of culture. |
| tourists from these countries. | | | | In conclusion, medical tourism in India is here to |
| Medical Tourism Competition | | | | stay and looks set for spectacular growth. |