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The
attraction of high quality healthcare facilities at competitive
costs has been instrumental in a large number of foreign arrivals
to access healthcare services in India. India is set to earn 1.87
billion U.S. dollars (Rs 8000 crore) a year in foreign exchange
from medical tourism by 2012.
According to a study made by the Delhi-based Associated Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM), the earnings accrued through
medical tourism annually is estimated to be Rs.3500 crore. The study
on Prospects of Medical Tourism for Higher Forex Earning was done
under the supervision of the health committee of Assocham, headed
by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital chairman B.K. Rao. |
The
primary reasons as to why medical tourism would flourish in India include
much more lower medical costs for various ailments such as bone narrow
transparent, bye-pass surgery, knee surgery and liver transplant as compared
to western countries said Mr. Venugopal N. Dhoot, President ASSOCHAM
Patients from economies of scale including Africa, Gulf and various Asian
countries have started exploring medical treatment in hospitals located
in various well-to do places in India because its medical infrastructure
has geared up to provide them non-subsidized medical treatment at much
more lower costs which are many times considered reasonable, adds Mr.
Dhoot.
India has emerged as a lead hub for excellent medical treatment because
of its strength of highly qualified medical professionals and even equally
higher qualities of availability of nurses. India has about seven lakh
qualified doctors and numbers of qualified nursing graduates and diploma
holders are equally good and of high professional caliber who are content
and satisfied with reasonable professional feels.
A comparison of treatment costs is given in the tabulated form, comparing
India's cost of medical treatment with countries such as USA, UK and Thailand
:
Advantages
Movement of patients from various developing and developed countries shift
towards India because -
• Hospital infrastructure is not only confined
to large metros but also equally getting better in tertiary towns in which
the cost of living is still lower with quality of supreme nature.
• Strength of traditional treatment such as homeopathy,
naturopathy, ayurvedic, unani etc. are becoming popular because of their
non-side effects.
• The Indian healthcare policy is being adequately
recognized from the policy makers as in India health spends in proportion
to its GDP is about 1%, which the government is gradually trying to increase.
The prospects of medical tourism in India will be of super facilities
and holds an excellent future.
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