Exploratory research on medical tourism in Public Relations

This study will help in understanding the role of public relations in promoting Medical Tourism
and what tools are being used in order to promote it.
Introduction
Public relations have become one of the most important tools used to communicate certain
messages and ideas to the audiences. Public relations have the factor which helps in targeting
directly to the target audiences and can get a positive feedback. Public relations also help in
achieving international audiences by using various non media as well as media tools. The term
“medical tourism” was coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly
growing practice of travelling across international borders to obtain hi-tech medical care. It is
based on a review of the literature, including published research, web sites, newspapers
magazines, and the travel and tourism magazines that carry Medical Tourism advertisements to
understand what tools are used and how public relations is being used . This helps provide
insight into the strategies being used for promoting Medical Tourism. Medical Tourism is also
being promoted through popular magazines, tourist guides, business magazines and journals on
tourism. Textual and video testimonies of cured foreign patients and administrators describing
the excellence of the treatment, the low cost, the professional approach, the technical
expertise, the dirt-cheap medicines, the affectionate and caring doctors and staff, and the
cutting edge technology are all displayed on hospital web sites as evidence of efficiency.
The main aim of the researcher is to study how Medical Tourism is promoted and what are the
tools which are being used by the government of India and other private institutions who
practices Medical Tourism. In today’s date almost 130 companies are carrying out Medical
Tourism and they have their own promotional strategies which the researcher will be studying.
Researcher will be studying companies only in Mumbai who carry out Public Relations. Medical
tourism is also used by hospitals and travel tourism in order to promote their respective
hospitals and state. Institutions are using a mixture of travel tourism and medical tourism to
promote institutions and as a marketing tool.
Increased access to information via the internet and international media has created a global
mindset and people are increasingly aware of the possibilities in medical care. In the past,
people tended to settle for the clinic next door and the hospital down the road and, when really
sick, they go to the big city. Today, they are much more willing to seek such care beyond their
borders. With increased access to information also comes the ability to compare prices.

Current scenario1
An estimated 150,000 "medical tourists" visited India last year, representing a 20 per cent
jump over the previous year.
The CII-McKinsey report suggests that medical tourism could fetch as much as $2 billion by
2012, compared to an estimated $333 million currently.

1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_India
Ayurveda tourism earned RS.6000 crore last year
A Famous Mumbai and Goa based cosmetic surgeon says his practice goes 1200 international
patient last year, double the number from previous year.

States like Kerala are promoting their state using Medical Tourism because of the Ayurveda
which is practiced on a large scale in Kerala and tourists from all over the world are attracted
towards and are now following Ayurveda as a serious cure for diseases.

In the month of January Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA ) has partnered with FICCI had
travelled to the African continent in order to promote Medical Tourism in the African
countries. All these steps are taken to understand the tools used to promote Medical Tourism
and how public relations play an important role in order to communicate with the global
audiences.

The researcher will have to study the ways how is public relations used and what are the
different tools which are used and also which are effective and what role public relations is
playing in order to give information of Medical Tourism to the global audiences.

Procedure Charges (US $)

Category US INDIA
Heart Surgery 30,000 8000
Bone marrow transplant 250,000 69,000
Liver transplant 300,000 69,000
Orthopedic Surgery 20,000 6,000
Cataract Surgery 2,000 1,250

India offers a real good cost advantage over the western countries. This cost factor becomes
very important while formulating schemes to attract the Indian diaspora as they generally
compare the relative costs before going for treatment.

Keywords: Medical tourism , Medical tourism in India, Public relations, tools of Public
relations, media and non media tools.
Literature review

Defining Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is term where in people from different countries visits countries to carry out
different operations and consultants which are cheap, affordable and hi- tech equipment’s are
used Medical tourism encompasses primarily and predominantly biomedical procedures,
combined with travel and tourism2. The term “medical tourism” was coined by travel agencies
and the mass media to describe the rapidly growing practice of travelling across international
borders to obtain hi-tech medical care. It is based on cheaper air fares, and internet and
communication channels in developing countries and cheaper hi-tech super-specialty medical
services for people who can afford it – be they foreign or national medical tourists. Medical
tourism can be broadly defined as provision of ‘cost effective’ private medical care in
collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and other forms of
specialized treatment. This process is being facilitated by the corporate sector involved in
medical care as well as the tourism industry - both private and public.
Medical tourism in India
It is a fact that Indian doctors are one of the most skilled doctors in world and India is
developing as a global hub for tourists and doctors are opening up their own hospitals and the
best medical facilities are very cheap in India so it is a trend which is practiced globally and this
trend has also entered India. It is estimated that the size of the medical tourism market in the
country will be Rs 1,95,000 crore in 2012.Quality care, relatively cheaper services compared to
the west, package deals and cheap services from the tourism and hospitality sectors and the
options offered by holistic medicine are Medical Tourism’s biggest attractions in India. Also in
order to promote Medical Tourism globally India’s tourism ministry along with the support of
Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA) carried out high potential road shows in the Middle
East countries3.

Defining public relations and role of public relations

Public relations are a term which helps in creating a relationship with the target audiences. It
helps in communicating ideas, services to the target audiences which the audiences can easily
get the information. It is a process where various tools are used according to the understanding
of the audiences and also depending on the trends which are currently used in order to
communicate the message. Public relations is a service which helps in understanding the
behavior of the audiences and also it helps understanding the trends that their target audiences
are following and accordingly design their strategies and use tools.

McElreath (1996) suggested that there are three roles commonly assumed by public relations
professionals: technicians, problem solver and strategist. Technicians provide services to the

2
(Whittaker 2008, Connell 2006)
3
http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/health-care/2010012542041.htm
organization such as writing press releases and disseminating information. Problem solver role
is to advise client to reconsider the strategies. A strategist plays key role in deciding the theme
and setting the communication plan and coordinating with the top bosses of the organization.

Defining Tools of Public Relations

Public relations professional’s uses media and non media tools in order to communicate the
service or message to its target audiences. Use of tools depend upon the availability of the
tools, it depends upon the exposure of the tools in target audiences. Usually a professional uses
the mixture of both the tools which is more effective because it covers most of their target
audiences. Even the current trend which is digital media which has the usage of the internet in
it is also used majorly nowadays in the metro cities as there are increasing number of internet
audiences in India. Various tools used by the professionals are press releases, press
conferences, road shows, fairs, exhibitions, films, street plays, advertising, workshops, and
events. Even documentaries’ are made, video interviews; testimonials are now part of public
relations tools. The aim of the researcher is to study what the tools are used by public relations
professionals to promote Medical Tourism.

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE MEDICAL TOURISM

• CME (Continuous medical education for doctors)
• Patient Education Progress
• Free health Checkup camps.
• Tie ups with various hospitals and insurance companies abroad.
• Participation in Health Expo’s abroad.
• Tie ups Embassies.
• AD campaigns.
• Nodal centers in other countries
Statement problem
The researcher will study how Medical Tourism is promoted and what tools are being used to
promote the same.
Research methodology
The study will be carried out on the basis of 10 companies to carry out Medical Tourism in
Mumbai and the research will carried out using questionnaire, personal interviews and
telephonic interviews.
Conclusion
Medical tourism in India is still growing and the understanding of Public relations in India and
role of Public relations can be understood in order to have better understanding which will help
in framing a better communication design and due to which reach to the global audiences will
be easier.
The research will help in understanding how Public relations is used in order to promote
Medical Tourism and what tools are being used to achieve the objective which is awareness and
information availability.
Some of the promotion tools used by hospitals
INDRAPRASTHA ESCORTS FORTIS MAX HOSPITAL
APOLLO HOSPITAL HOSPITAL
Attending World Tie ups with various Conduct Tie up with most of
Travel Marts and agencies abroad CME(continuous the embassies, free
World Medical involved in medical Medical Education cardiac camps in
Fairs. tourism. for doctors), Free various countries,
Participation in health checkups for CME, Nodal centers
Health Expos in doctors, On campus in UK, US etc.
UK. Ad campaign patient education Hospitals in gulf
for India. programs, Ad countries, Tie ups
campaign Dhakan with most of the
on TV. insurance
companies.