MEDICO TOURISM AND NEW GOVERNANCE

ABSTRACT
Medical tourism is broadly defined as the act of travelling to obtain medical care in another
country or region of the same country where specialized or economical medical care is
available complemented with well being and recuperation of acceptable quality with the help
of support system. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines medical tourism as
tourism associated with travel to health spas or resort destinations where the primary purpose
is to improve travellers physical well being through a process comprising physical exercises
and therapy, dietary control, and medical services relevant to health maintenance. India has
become a destination of choice for patients from all hemispheres as the destination of choice
for a wide range of medical services and surgical procedures. In addition to the tangible
expertise of medical and nursing staff, allied health services staff, the intangible
compassionate care of support services staff draws patients to tertiary care hospitals in India.
Equally important is the lower cost of world class treatment at a fraction of what it costs in
the Western or so-called developed countries. In addition, there is no waiting period for any
of the major surgical interventional procedures in the corporate hospitals in India. There are
several dynamic internal and external factors which hinder medical tourism in India. The
future of medical tourism in India is exceptionally promising. There are abundant
opportunities for corporate tertiary care hospitals to follow the example of hospitals in the
Texas Medical Centre is securing substantial gifts from selected Indian and international
patients to improve the infrastructure and thus patient care and promote research. This can be
accomplished by establishing a professionally managed Office of Development.

INTRODUCTION
Healthcare is a booming component of the Indian economy. Increasing health awareness
coupled with a rise in the standard of living has led to increases in demand for quality
healthcare services. India is placed among the top three medical tourism destinations in
Asia, mainly due to the low cost of treatment, quality healthcare infrastructure and
availability of highly-skilled doctors, says a study. "Within Asia, India, Thailand and
Singapore are the three countries that receive maximum medical tourists owing to low cost of
treatment, quality healthcare infrastructure, and availability of highly-skilled doctors. Thus it
is necessary to focus on the prospects of the hospitality sector considering four prominent
cities of India and, thereby, increasing the visibility of India on the global map as a medical
tourism hub.
Medical tourism is a form of Health tourism commonly referring to the travel of people to
another country for the purpose of obtaining medical treatment in that country. Traditionally,
people would travel from less-developed countries to major medical centres in highly
developed countries for medical treatment that was unavailable in their own country. Medical
Tourism is where people who live in one country travel to another country to receive medical,
dental and surgical care while at the same time receiving equal to or greater care than they
would have in their own country, and are travelling for medical care because of affordability,
better access to care or a higher level of quality of care.
Many patients engage in medical tourism because the procedures they seek can be performed
in other countries at relatively low cost and without the delay and inconvenience of being
placed on a waiting list. In addition, some patients travel to specific destinations to undergo
procedures that are not available in their home country. Examples of such procedures
include stem-cell transplants and gender-reassignment operations.

IMPORTANCE OF MEDICO TOURISM FOR INDIA

India is increasingly emerging as a destination of choice for a wide range of medical
procedures. The major advantages of travelling to India for medical tourism are:
1. Internationally accredited medical facilities.
2. Exceptionally well qualified physicians and
surgeons who received training and gain
valuable experience at academic medical centers
around the world.
3. The medical treatment cost in India are lower by
at least 60% to 80% when compared to
North America and U.K.
4. There is no waiting period for any of the major
surgical interventional procedures in the corporate hospitals in India.
5. As India is becoming more interconnected with the world through globalization, the
private players have established a stronghold in the medical industry.
6. A major influence is the U.S. based NRI doctors and its origin begin from the relaxed
procedures in the 1960s which led to the influx of foreign Indian doctors into the U.K.
and the U.S. looking for better career opportunities. This led to brain drain, but as India
started to develop as an economic power house, these NRI doctors recognized the
tremendous opportunities in the private healthcare sector.
7. The doctors brought back their expertise and knowledge to invest in specialty hospitals
in India which were modelled along the lines of the American hospitals.
8. Indias corporate hospitals offer world class treatment at a fraction of the cost in the
U.S. As a result, an increasing number of international patients are making India their
destination of choice.
9. Further development of medical tourism in India can be strategized by paying attention
to the Seven Ps of marketing: (1) Product, (2) Price, (3) Place, (4) Promotion, (5) People,

(6) Process, and (7) Physical Evidence.

TOP 5 MEDICAL TOURISM DESTINATIONS

IN INDIA
New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa,
Ahemdabad.

OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH

To establish the relationship between

quality and standardization norms and the
demand for medical tourism in India with
reference to new governance..

To recognize the balance between quality of assured and coordinated services allied
with the hospitality sector under new governance

LIMITATIONS OF MEDICO TOURISM

The study is conducted only for Medical purpose, other areas are not taken into

consideration.
The study is limited to only Mumbai suburbs and not beyond that.
As the respondents were busy and could not spare time during the interview schedule.
Hospital authorities were not interested to share the exact statistical data.
Unavailability of empirical data on internet and medical journals.

REASONS

Review of Literature
Existing medical tourism promises tremendous growth and synergy for taking the healthcare
segment global while making it easily accessible. The literature reflects upon various aspects
and areas of medical tourism. This imminent arena covers the prospects of medical tourism,
emerging trends and the future of upcoming healthcare hubs.
Bookman & Bookman, in their book, discussed western patients who are increasingly
travelling to developing countries for healthcare where they are offered the best skills and
facilities that cater to their needs. This international trade of medical services has huge
economic potential for developing countries and serious implications for healthcare across
the globe. It is successful only in countries with economic and political advantages that
enable them to navigate around international and domestic obstacles to trade in medical
services.
Research Methodology
Secondary data was gathered from research centers, universities, management institutes,
books, journals, magazines, travel guides, travelogues and monographs.

GROWTH OF INDIAN MEDICAL TOURISM

The Indian medical
tourism industry is
expected to reach $6
billion
(around Rs.36,000
crore) by 2018, with the
number of people
arriving in the country
for medical treatment
set to double over the
next four years, a report
by industry lobby Punjab Haryana Delhi (PHD) Chamber of Commerce and
Industry said on Thursday.
Currently, the size of the medical tourism industry in India in value terms is
estimated at a little over $3 billion, with tourist arrivals estimated at 230,000.

Medical tourism is an area that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) government plans to tap to drive growth in the
tourism sector. In its manifesto, the party said it would build 50 tourism circuits
including a medical circuit, which will connect hubs of modern medicine and
Ayurveda.

Conclusion
Future of medical tourism is bright and is considered as a mile stone for growing Indian
economy. World class facilities and infrastructure will make India as most suitable destination
in medical tourism in the worldwide. Taking a clue from the current scenario, it would be apt
to conclude that Medical tourism has a huge potential in times to come as more and more
foreign travellers will be visiting India specially Delhi NCR for their health needs and

keeping an eye on future will lead to quantitative and qualitative gains for both international
and national clients.