Medical Tourism to boom; reports Planning Commission

From time immemorial India has always been an exotic destination for tourism be it for culture, traditions, monuments, arts & crafts, people, cuisine or health. The various destinations have served to the senses of every kind of sojourners. Interestingly India is adding more to number of tourist who visits India as medical tourist for healing.

In 2002 1.5 Lakh medical tourist visited India bringing in earnings of $300 million, since then the travelers have been increasing each year by 25%. And now a report prepared by CII-McKinsey projects medical tourism to earn India $2 billion revenue by 2012.

The Planning Commission of India has enumerated that it is because of the low cost of better quality of medical services, India is attracting a large number of tourists not only from SAARC but are also NRIs from USA and UK. The data are supported with commission’s latest high-level report; in which a cost comparison of various medical procedures has been done.

The Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia released a report on Wednesday which stated, “a heart bypass surgery would cost a patient $6,000 in India, the same surgery would cost the person $7,894 in Thailand, $10,417 in Singapore, $23,938 in the US and $19,700 in Britain.”

“A heart valve replacement surgery would cost patients $10,000 in Thailand, $12,500 in Singapore, $200,000 in the US and $90,000 in Britain. In India, it would cost just $8,000. While a bone marrow transplant would cost $30,000 in India, doctors in US would charge anywhere between $250,000-400,000 while those in UK would charge $150,000. A cosmetic surgery would cost $3,500 in Thailand, $20,000 in the US and $10,000 in Britain. But in India, it costs only $2, 000,” it added.

The report, prepared by member Anwarul Hoda, says, "The hospitals established by private corporate players are world class. They not only have the latest medical technologies, but also the services of Indian doctors and nurses with high degree of proficiency. The hospitals are completely equipped, upmarket and proficient and can measure up or even outshine any hospital in the West."

The report says that government is planning to provide visa facilities on priority basis to medical tourist although marked that the unwillingness of insurance companies to cover treatment of India is creating foremost hindrance to those coming from UK and US for major surgeries.

But it also stated that the cost savings involved in getting treatment done in India will break the barriers imposed by insurance company and that many hospitals are striking deal with international companies so that patients can opt for medical treatment in India.

The report hailed that competitiveness of India in medical tourist gets boosted by the presence of alternative systems of medicine, particularly Ayurveda.

“A large number of tourists, both domestic and foreign, undergo treatment under Ayurveda not only for improving their fitness and well-being but also for curing many types of chronic diseases,” it added.

India though in many ways has captured world attention as tourist paradise but being a medical tourist destination with wide range of therapeutic measures will add to the welfare of human beings.

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