| Medical tourism in India has seen an exponential | | | | over the world to travel and cure themselves at the |
| growth in the past five years and is all set to | | | | same time. Most Indian healthcare centers make |
| become the major earner of foreign exchange in | | | | provisions for their foreign patients to travel across |
| near future. There are a number of reasons that has | | | | India prior to or after their treatment. A report by |
| led to the promotion of medical tourism in India. | | | | the Confederation of Indian Industry estimates that |
| Patients from abroad are wooed not only by the low | | | | this year, close to half a million foreign patients will |
| cost factor but also by the exceptional hospitality | | | | travel to India for treatments as complex and varied |
| offered by the Indian healthcare centers. In a | | | | as bone marrow and kidney transplants, |
| nutshell, one is not only cured but also cared for and | | | | neurosurgery, joint replacement and dental implants. |
| it is this theory of 'cure with care' that forms the | | | | Not only those, these Indian health centers are highly |
| motto of medical tourism industry in India. | | | | admired for the wonderful hospitality offered to their |
| Indian healthcare facilities are in no way inferior to | | | | foreign patients. |
| their foreign competitors in the medical tourism | | | | Till the 1980's, government run hospitals were the |
| industry like Thailand, Philippines, Singapore and so on. | | | | primary providers of healthcare in India. The |
| Canadian Minister of Labour and Citizen's Services, | | | | emergence of corporate hospitals has brought a |
| Michael De Jong, who recently visited few hospitals in | | | | touch of sophistication and modernity to the Indian |
| India and was impressed with the facilities on offer, | | | | healthcare industry. These hospitals house |
| has even acknowledged this. Indian healthcare | | | | equipments imported from countries like UK, USA, |
| centers offer specialized services at less than | | | | Germany, Japan and the like. Complex treatments are |
| one-fifth of the cost in developed countries. That is | | | | now being performed frequently owing to the latest |
| why more and more patients from abroad find it | | | | technologies available here. India has established |
| wiser to undergo treatment in other countries like | | | | world-class expertise in complex medical practices |
| India. Medical tourism in India is soaring upwards and it | | | | such as cardiac care, cosmetic surgery, joint |
| is estimated that healthcare tourism alone can now | | | | replacements, neurosurgery, ophthalmology and |
| rake over 8,000 crore additional revenue by 2012. | | | | dentistry. Besides, these treatments are offered at |
| Medical tourism in India has been successful in | | | | only a nominal cost compared to other developed |
| arousing the interests of Indian government with its | | | | countries like USA. |
| promise to bring in more revenue by luring people | | | | |