Medical Tourism in India – Catching on the Booming Sector in India
The Indian economy consists of various vast industries that have opened opportunities for the residents of the country and the tourists across the world. Apart from industrial sectors that are always on the rise like hospitality, automation, manufacturing, banking and many other, there is one more industry which is foreseeing a great future. Can you guess the industry? The Medical Tourism industry is under the debate because health care is serious business for healthcare professionals and a serious concern for the patients.
India is a country that has progressed because of the skilled workforce, common language, diverse medical conditions that doctor deal with, the volume of patients and a large non-resident Indian population overseas. Medical tourism consists of dedicated services that help foreign patients to reduce their anxiety levels. It includes translation, currency conversion, travel, visa, post-treatment care system and accommodation of patients’ relatives during and after the treatment.
Be it foreign patients or the residents of India, Indian medical industry has some of the best networks of pharmaceutical experts as they guide patients in getting the best treatments. One of the networks across India that helps patients is Indian Pharma Network.
Future of Medical Tourism in India
According to the research by the tourism industry in India, the medical tourism industry is believed to grow at 18% CAGR. The industry is expected to reach $9 billion worth industry mark by 2020. Research also depicted that number of patients arriving in India for treatment stood 2.34 Lakh, 4.27 Lakh, and 4.95 Lakh in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. Countries like India have advanced facilities, skilled doctors and low-cost treatment plans which make it an ideal destination for foreign patients
Besides world-class facilities, technologies and modern medical practices, India has also promoted traditional practices such as Yoga, Mindfulness and Ayurveda that promote wellbeing and health. In 2015 India ranked third most popular destination for medical tourism and was worth $3 billion industry. Tourists from Oman, Maldives, Uzbekistan, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have always stayed at the top and continue to rank higher for medical treatments in India.
Why Choose India?
India is a land of immense topological diversity, an extensive historical significance, a rich collection of various cultures and heritage. The Indian economy is the economy of opportunities and is flourishing in a variety of sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, refineries, electronics, technology and many more.
One of the other sectors that are foreseeing a great future in India is Medical Tourism. With the amalgamation of world-class health facilities at low-cost rates and the opportunity of sightseeing the heritage culture, India makes a perfect choice for medical tourists. It ranks among the top 3 destinations for medical tourism all over Asia, the other two being Thailand and Singapore.
Now, let us explore the various reasons that attract many patients to India.
- Low-Cost Rates
This is the main reason that has led to the rise of medical tourism in India. India provides the highest quality healthcare at the lowest price. The cost of treatment in India is one-tenth of the price of the same treatment in the US/UK. For Example, Heart Bypass costs approximately $ 123,000 (Rs. 9023575.20) in the US and whereas in India it costs roughly around $7900(Rs. 579562.96).
- High-Quality Care
The quality of medical care and attention is always high, even at low-cost rates at India’s best healthcare centres. Equipped with the latest technology and running under the supervision of an award-winning medical professional, these Indian medical associations are renowned for maintaining the highest standards in surgical as well as diagnostics operations.
- Feels at Home
In India, people follow the tradition of “Atithi Devo Bhava” which means “Guest is God”. This principle has been followed by all and has been gracefully extended to the medical tourism sector as well. With leading hospitality services and friendly environment, India makes sure that all guests are treated with warmth, affection and feel at home while receiving treatments.
- Low Waiting Periods
At times, the waiting periods in the hospitals for transplants, surgeries and long. In such cases, patients tend to prefer to travel to medical cities like India, where there are low waiting periods.
- Recovering Opportunities in Serene Environment
Generally, patients prefer to lay low and recover in a peaceful and serene environment. India offers a variety of choices of holiday destination and journeys that medical travellers can choose upon with their companions. It gives the tourist much-needed privacy as well as relaxation, need of recovering from long-drawn treatments before they get back to their routine.
- Medical Visa Norms Made Easy
To ensure a hassle-free journey, and the treatment for the medical patients and their attendants, the union administration has made medical visa norms easier, which offers multiple entries and long-term stays for medical care. The government has also launched e-medical visa service to ease the process.
Your Experience. India’s Responsibility
While it is going to be an adventurous travel experience as it offers many heritages and cultures to uncover, but it is also crucial to keep yourself away from threats of terrorist activities and political violence. Women travellers should avoid travelling alone, especially at night. Tourists should stay alert as crimes like pickpocketing or bag-snatching are common in India.
India is the second-largest English-speaking country and has a good number of interpreters which helps ease the process for medical tourists. India is also known for naturopathy as it has many wellness and Ayurveda centres. Besides Ayurveda, the Indian healthcare system is famous for diversity in the specialization. There is a wide range of treatments that are available at affordable rates. Few Specialities are Cardiology, Oncology, Numerology, Orthopaedics, Nephrology, Radiology and many more.
When it comes to food in India, you will never feel starving as Indian is home to the ones who like food very much and offer a variety of cuisines from across the globe. Food is also one of the main deciding factors for medical travellers and attendants.
Wrap Up
The country has understood the significance and immense potential for medical tourism to thrive in the global market. With an effective public-private partnership in the sector, the government has started releasing initiatives and schemes for healthcare providers which helps them in promoting their services in International events.
While there are many factors to plan if you are planning to take your treatments in India, you can also consult the experts at a particular hospital at which you are planning to take your therapies. At Indian Pharma Network, we have professionals in the pharmaceutical industry that will help in making all the arrangements for treatments, will assist you with the best advice and will help in procuring any medication that you need from any part of the globe.
Visit: https://indianpharmanetwork.co.in/
Or
Call Mr Neeraj Nagpal on 9811747774
Reference Links:
- https://www.bajajfinserv.in/insights/a-doctors-guide-on-medical-tourism
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22727009/
- https://www.bajajfinserv.in/insights/a-doctors-guide-on-medical-tourism#:~:text=Medical%20tourism%20is%20growing%20by,150%20international%20patients%20every%20day.
- https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/panorama/india-s-rise-as-hub-of-medical-tourism-738603.html
- https://thedope.news/why-medical-tourism-is-booming-in-india/
- https://www.tourmyindia.com/medical-tourism/blog/medical-tourists-flocking-india/
