30-07-2012, 04:48 PM
Indian Medical/Health Tourism Service Sector Network Report
Indian Medical Health Tourism Service Sector.pdf (Size: 222.62 KB / Downloads: 111)
Defining Medical Tourism
Medical tourism is a term that has risen from the rapid growth of an industry where people
from all around the world are traveling to other countries to obtain medical, dental, and
surgical care while at the same time touring, vacationing, and fully experiencing the
attractions of the countries that they are visiting.
Medical or Health tourism has become a common form of vacationing, and covers a broad
spectrum of medical services. It mixes leisure, fun and relaxation together with wellness and
healthcare. The idea of the health holiday is to offer an opportunity to get away from daily
routine and come into a different relaxing surrounding. Here one can enjoy being close to the
beach and the mountains and at the same time able to receive an orientation that will help
improve one’s life in terms of health and general well being. It is like rejuvenation and clean
up process on all levels - physical, mental and emotional.
Overburdened healthcare infrastructure and high costs in the West are the key drivers for the
boom in medical tourism. The healthcare infrastructure in Europe and the United States is
under severe pressure. In Britain, the National Health Service (NHS) has a long wait list of
patients for surgery. In US the healthcare crisis has different dimensions — it has 50 million
uninsured citizens while the insured have to pay dearly for healthcare facilities. To add to this
the stringent visa regulations imposed by US and European countries after 9/11 episode has
led to a growing number of foreign patients from Middle East to visit Asian countries for
treatment. All these factors have opened up avenues for hospitals in various Asian countries
to promote medical tourism.
India and the medical tourism industry
India with advanced medical services paired with exotic natural bounties has become a
heaven for medical tourists. The Medical Tourism Industry in India is poised to be the next big
success story after software. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and McKinsey have
predicted that the industry will grow to earn additional revenue of $2.3 billion by 2012.
'Medical Tourism' can contribute Rs. 50 to 100 bn additional revenue for upmarket tertiary
hospitals by 2012, and will account for 3-5 percent of the total healthcare delivery market,
says the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-McKinsey study on healthcare.
The Indian medical tourism industry, growing at an annual rate of 30 percent, caters to
patients chiefly from the US, Europe, West Asia and Africa. Although in its nascent stage, the
industry is outsmarting similar industries of other countries such as Greece, South Africa,
Jordan, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. In 2004, 1,50,000 medical tourists visited India.
The Current Scenario
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and McKinsey have predicted that the industry will
grow to earn additional revenue of $2.3 billion by 2012. Five years ago, hardly 10,000 foreign
patients visited India for medical treatment. Today India is a key player in medical tourism
with 100,000 foreign patients coming in every year and revenue of Rs.15 Billion. The current
market growth-rate is around 30% per year and the country is inching closer to major players
like Singapore and Thailand.