Ancient India

A RECENT TREND has shown that people from developed countries are seeking treatment from the health professionals from developing countries. This preferential shift is broadly termed as ‘Medical Tourism’. The most important reason is the rising cost of medical care in developed countries. One wonders why people travel all the way to these nations, leaving behind the comfort of their superior technology. Well, it’s the cost factor that is six to ten times less in the countries where these health tourists decide to go.
It is very difficult to say when exactly medical tourism began. However, medical tourism, as a concept, has been there for quite a few years. Medical tourists are people from the industrialized and developed nations such as USA, Europe, Australia and The Middle East. These nations have either free medical treatment for their citizens or the citizens are covered under medical insurance. In case of free medical treatment in Great Britain, Canada and many Middle East countries, waiting period for the desired treatment is so long that many patients do not survive the date their turn comes.
In other places, such as USA, where people are covered under medical insurance, the cost of treatment is so high that the Insurance Companies charge a high premium from the insurance seeker. Health insurance in USA is the responsibility of the employer for whom the people work. That is a limiting factor. According to a report, 40 million Americans do not have health insurance. Apart from this, private healthcare is too costly.
In contrast, these treatments requiring high medical expertise are available in developing countries at much lower costs. There are many other factors that have given added advantage to medical tourism. The first and foremost among them is the low airfare and the emerging trend of the economy of developing nations to cater to the needs of the developed nations. The reverse brain drain is another factor. People who went to developed nations to make their careers are getting back to their roots. After coming back they are gaining importance in terms of respect and incentives.
Currently, medical tourists are traveling in large numbers to India, the East Indies, South America and South East Asia. These countries offer numerous options for tourism, sightseeing, shopping and exploration. Although these countries are currently the most popular choices for medical tourism, the industry is growing so rapidly that more and more countries are offering greater choice in healthcare tourism. It is expected that the destinations for medical tourism will grow with each passing day.
India is one of the most attractive destinations in the world for medical tourists. The main aim of Indian medical industry is low-cost treatment. According to the estimates, treatment costs in India start at around one-tenth of the price in America or in Britain. In fact, no country has been in the news for medical tourism more than India in 2005-06. The heart surgery and hip resurfacing are areas in which India is reckoned as a global leader.
People from different walks of life cut across America, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Europe, Maldives, Germany and many more countries come to India to get treatment. Indian medical fraternity have expertise in the areas of Cosmetic surgery, Dental care, Heart surgeries, Coronary Bypass surgery, Valve replacements, Knee replacements, Eye surgeries and Indian traditional treatments like Ayurvedic therapies. They practically cover every aspect of medicine, combining modern methods of treatment with the traditional ones.
India gears to be a “global health destination" by 2012. However, there are some areas for improvement. Ten years ago, medical tourism in India was hardly worthwhile. This year, approximately half a million foreign patients are expected to travel to India for medical care, which is a big leap forward from the 2002 figure of 150,000.
In monetary terms, experts estimate that medical tourism could bring India as much as $2.2 billion per year, by 2012. Argentina, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, South Africa, Jordan, Malaysia, Hungary, Latvia and Estonia all have broken into this lucrative market as well, or are trying to do so and more countries are joining the list every year.
Surely, the future for medical tourism is bright. If travel can provide good health without making holes in the pockets, then nothing is better than medical tourism.