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Medical tourism in India

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Medical tourism is a growing sector in India. In October 2015, India's medical tourism sector was estimated to be worth US$3 billion. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 200% by 2020, hitting $9 billion by 2020.[1]

To encourage applications and ease the travel process for medical tourists, the government has expanded its e-tourism VISA regime on February 2019, to include medical visas. The maximum duration of stay under this visa is 6 months.[2]

The promotion of Medical Tourism in India has helped private players capitalize on this market opportunity. Private institutions like Max Healthcare has treated up to 50,000 foreign patients in its hospitals.[3] Industrialist Sanjay Dalmia's healthcare company Dalmia Healthcare on 2018, declared medical treatment consultation to international patients.[4]

Attractions

Advantages of medical treatment in India include reduced costs, the availability of latest medical technologies,[5] and a growing compliance on international quality standards, Doctors trained in western countries including US and UK, as well as English speaking personnel, due to which foreigners are less likely to face language barrier in India.

Advantages

Costs of medical procedures in developed countries suc hip replacement. India is known in particular for heart surgery, hip resurfacing and other areas of advanced medicine.

Quality of care

India has 33 JCI accredited hospitals.[6] However, for a patient traveling to India, it is important to find the optimal Doctor-Hospital combination. After the patient has been treated, the patient has the option of either recuperating in the hospital or at a paid accommodation nearby. Many hospitals also give the option of continuing the treatment through telemedicine.

The city of Chennai has been termed "India's health capital".[7][8][9][10] Multi- and super-specialty hospitals across the city bring in an estimated 150 international patients every day.[7] Chennai attracts about 45 percent of health tourists from abroad arriving in the country and 30 to 40 percent of domestic health tourists.[8] Factors behind the tourists inflow in the city include low costs, little to no waiting period,[11] and facilities offered at the specialty hospitals in the city.[7] The city has an estimated 12,500 hospital beds, of which only half is used by the city's population with the rest being shared by patients from other states of the country and foreigners.[12] Dental clinics have attracted dental care tourism to Chennai.[13]

Ease of travel

The government has removed visa restrictions on tourist visas that required a two-month gap between consecutive visits for people from Gulf countries which is likely to boost medical tourism.[14] A visa-on-arrival scheme for tourists from select countries has been instituted which allows foreign nationals to stay in India for 30 days for medical reasons.[15] In 2016, citizens of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Maldives, Republic of Korea and Nigeria availed the most medical visas.[16]

Language

Despite India's diversity of languages, English is an official language and is widely spoken by most people and almost universally by medical professionals. In Noida, which is fast emerging as a hotspot for medical tourism, a number of hospitals have hired language translators to make patients from Balkan and African countries feel more comfortable while at the same time helping in the facilitation of their treatment.[17]


  1. ^ CNN, Manveena Suri. "India wants to make medical tourism a $9 billion industry by 2020". CNN. Retrieved 2019-03-15. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ "Centre liberalises e-Visa regime to make it more tourist friendly". The Economic Times. 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  3. ^ CNN, Manveena Suri. "India wants to make medical tourism a $9 billion industry by 2020". CNN. Retrieved 2019-03-14. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ ANI (2018-01-17). "Sanjay Dalmia Group enters into medical tourism". Business Standard India. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  5. ^ "Reason to smile". The Hindu. 2011-10-24.
  6. ^ http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org/jci-accredited-organizations/
  7. ^ a b c Hamid, Zubeda (20 August 2012). "The medical capital's place in history". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 15 Sep 2012.
  8. ^ a b National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers. "Chennai – India's Health Capital". India Health Visit. Retrieved 1 Sep 2012.
  9. ^ "Chennai High: City gets most foreign tourists". The Times of India. Chennai: The Times Group. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 11 Sep 2012.
  10. ^ "சென்னை இந்தியாவின் மருத்துவ தலைநகரா?". BBC Tamil. BBC. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 15 Sep 2012.
  11. ^ Porecha, Maitri (8 August 2012). "Long wait makes patients head south". Daily News & Analysis. Mumbai: DNAIndia.com. Retrieved 15 Sep 2012.
  12. ^ "Country's med capital to get 3,000 more beds". The Times of India. Chennai: The Times Group. 16 July 2011. Retrieved 16 Sep 2012.
  13. ^ Rajan, Manoj (4 October 2011). "Foreigners flock to city for dental care". The Times of India. Chennai: The Times of India. Retrieved 2 Jan 2013.
  14. ^ "Easing of visa norms to boost medical tourism". The Times of India. 2012-12-05.
  15. ^ "Visa-on-arrival". immigrationindia.nic.in. 2012-12-05.
  16. ^ "Medical tourism to keep pharma industry in good health: Study". dna. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  17. ^ "Medical translators to aid foreign patients". The Times of India. 2013-01-24.
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