Katie, a resident of the United States of America, works 2 jobs and can barely afford healthcare in her country of residence. She has to undergo an urgent dental surgery but her insurance won’t cover the cost of treatment.
While looking for options to undergo the procedure outside the United States, she comes across Fortis Hospitals’ Maxillofacial Surgery marketing campaign online. The hospital is offering a visa, stay and treatment package which is 50% lower than the expenses she will incur in the United States. However, Katie will need to travel to India which she can also afford. The only problem is regarding the ongoing second wave of Covid-19 in India and she is a little concerned about her safety during her travel and stay in India. She contacts the hospital who assure her of safe travel and even offer her an upgrade so that she can be rest assured of being safe throughout her medical trip to India.
What is Medical Tourism?
Medical Tourism is the travelling of residents from their home country abroad to undergo advanced treatments and procedures that are either unavailable or not cost effective in their home country. It’s an opportunity for travel and tourism activities where patients can take advantage of their visit to a different country for a supposed ‘medical getaway’ or holiday.
Healthcare institutions and hospitals specifically cater to the medical travellers by offering admission cum accommodation packages. Special in-house hotel rooms are provided to these medical travellers to give them an opportunity to explore their surroundings alongside their scheduled appointments.
India’s key healthcare players are contributing to its growth
Fortis Hospitals India is one of the top contenders on the list of Medical Tourism Manufacturers across the globe who will contribute to the growth. Fortis at Bannerghatta, Bengaluru got an international certification in 2016 for being the country’s go-to destination for Medical Tourism.
Currently it’s the biggest healthcare player in the Indian medical Tourism sector alongside Apollo Hospitals, Manipal Hospitals, Narayana Health (famous for heart procedures).
Apollo Hospitals at Hyderabad, Telangana recently received the JCI (Joint Commission International) Accreditation for Medical Tourism.
Popular Medical Tourism Treatments
Every year, scores of patients from across the globe flock to prime medical tourism locations especially in India to avail state-of-the-art expertise from top-notch facilities. Popular treatments include:
- Fertility Treatments
- Cosmetic Surgery like Hair Transplant and Breast Augmentation
- Dental Surgery
- Oncology Treatments
Medical Tourism in India – Scope
Medical Travellers from countries like the USA prefer to travel to developing countries like India due to the low treatment cost for major surgeries like Hip and Knee Replacements.
Asian countries are now the top destinations for medical tourism mainly because healthcare innovations have gotten very advanced and the costs are much lower compared to the US, Europe, etc.
The scope for Medical Tourism in India is concentrated around Transplants, Orthopaedic, and Cardiac treatments. Due to the huge surge in patients, there is an option to avail a special visa category to make the process quicker and hassle-free under the Government of India’s ‘e-Tourism Visa Regime’. In India, the Asian Heart Institute is most sought-after for cardiac bypass surgery because medical tourists from most nationalities are welcome here and obtain access to top experts.
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Apollo Hospitals at Hyderabad, Telangana recently received the JCI (Joint Commission International) Accreditation for Medical Tourism.
What’s in it for me?
The Medical Tourism Market will see huge growth by 2028 and India is a key player. This year, non-Covid care and Medical Tourism declined in India due to the risk of Covid infection. However, the coming year will be better since Medical Tourism is steadily picking up pace. Standalone hospitals, multi-specialty hospitals, and regional hospital chains in the healthcare sector need to be prepared.
The low-income patient base from developed countries are your target market. By positioning your healthcare facility as an affordable destination of low-cost treatments, you can tap into the growing market.
There will be high demand for Orthopaedic Surgery in the coming years. Orthopaedic surgeries include knee and hip replacement surgeries. The high demand is due to active sport participation in developed countries as well as the high frequency of road accidents in these countries. Upgrade your medical equipment and offer minimally invasive knee and hip replacement surgeries for tourists.
If you are a private hospital, become an accredited healthcare provider. Combine holistic treatments like Ayurveda and Yoga alongside low-cost medical procedures to attract patients from abroad.
