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