Official records reveal the Indian medical tourism industry has been registering an 18 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). The sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.1 per cent from 2020 to 2027. And, India is ranked 10th out of the top 46 countries in the world in the Medical Tourism Index 2020-21 by Medical Tourism Association.
For all practical purposes, among the range of sectors, Health Tourism holds immense hope. The Indian systems of medicines, i.e. Ayurveda, Yoga, Panchakarma, Rejuvenation Therapy, etc. are among the most ancient systems of medical treatment, of the world. It is without doubt that India can provide Medical and Health care and on par with international standard at comparatively low cost.
Why, look at Kerala as a prototype of India’s Southern States, which has developed Health Tourism as one of the products for the promotion of tourism in Kerala. The sector of Health Tourism is being promoted by Kerala as a Unique Selling Point (USP) and most of the hotels and resorts in the state have been coming up with Ayurveda Centres as an integral part. A lot of foreign tourists are known to make a beeline for India only for Ayurveda. In fact, leading tour operators too have included the option of Ayurveda in their material.
Medical tourism growing fast
Also, most of the doctors and surgeons at Indian hospitals are trained or have worked at some of the medical institutions in the US, Europe, or other developed nations. Most doctors and nurses are fluent in English, an issue with most other countries with non-English speaking populations.
Also, top-of-the-line medical and diagnostic equipment from global international conglomerates is available at many Indian hospitals. Indian nurses are among the best in the world. From nearly 1,000 recognised nurses-training centers in India, mostly attached to teaching hospitals, 10,000 nurses graduate annually. Also, the most budget-conscious traveller can afford first-rate service and luxury amenities in India.
There is an acute need for India to promote health tourism world-wide. If pertinent focus is given to Health and Medical tourism, the potential of growth of Medical and Health Tourism in India can be much higher. India possesses, on her part, a wide range of advantages.
For one, India has world-class doctors and hospitals as compared to most other countries. In comparison to source markets, the cost of treatment is a fraction of what it would cost there. Also, importantly, for those looking for speedy relief, there’s no waiting period for various medical processes as opposed to the rest of the world.
Over the years, India’s popularity as a tourist destination in the West has been increasing steadily. The blend of Eastern Healthcare Wisdom and Western Medicine expertise provides a winning combination for patients across the world.
Government initiatives promoting medical tourism
It is in this regard that the Ministry of Tourism has taken a range of steps to promote Medical Tourism. Indian Healthcare Federation, a Non-Governmental Organisation affiliated to the Confederation of Indian Industry, on the advice of the Central Government, has prepared a guide on select Indian hospitals of the country for health tourism purposes.
The guide has been placed on the website of the Ministry of Tourism www.incredibleindia.org to boost visibility and publicity. Brochure, CDs and other publicity materials to promote Medical and Health tourism have been produced by the Ministry of Tourism and have been widely circulated for publicity in target markets.
At various international platforms such as World Travel Mart, London, ITP Berlin Medical, health tourism has been specifically promoted by India. Of late, a new category of ‘Medical Visa ’ has been introduced, which can be provided for specific purpose to foreign tourist coming to India for medical treatment.
Guidelines for accreditation of Ayurvedic and Panchkarma Centres have been circulated to all State Governments for swift implementation and placed on the website of Ministry of Tourism i.e. www.incredibleindia.org to boost visibility and accessibility.
Over the last few years, across print, electronic, internet and outdoor medium, Yoga / Ayurveda / Wellness have been promoted under the Ministry of Tourism‘s ‘Incredible India Campaign.’ Brochures and CDs on Body, Mind and Soul covering the traditional systems of medicine have been produced and circulated extensively by the Ministry of Tourism.
Other entities promoting health tourism
Other agencies besides Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Tourism have also been involved in the development of health and medical tourism in the country. The support extended by government agencies and the initiatives taken to promote health tourism has significantly boosted the popularity of India as the hub of medical tourism among foreign tourists.
Indian Healthcare Federation is an independent nonstatutory body comprising non-government hospitals, diagnostic centers, medical equipment manufacturers and pharmaceutical industries. The main objective of the Federation is to promote and encourage healthcare industry in the country and it seeks to function as a liaisoning medium between Government, health care providers, medical equipment manufacturers and other medical institutions. It is affiliated to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CH) and works closely with the CH National Committee on Healthcare.
Wellness centers springing up
In keeping with this growing need, there has been a parallel mushrooming of wellness centers across the country giving rise to concerns regarding the quality of service. The guidelines for accreditation of wellness centers have been developed by the National Board for Accreditation of Hospitals and Healthcare Services (NABH) in consultation with AYUSH.
The Ministry of Tourism has also extended its Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme to wellness tourism service providers including accredited wellness centers. Presently, the wellness centers accredited by State Tourism Departments are also eligible for the MDA. After the accreditation guidelines of NABH is in place, all wellness centers seeking MDA would be asked to be as close to the accreditation guidelines of NABH as possible.
The initiative of accreditation of wellness centers by NABH and AYUSH has been greatly driven by the Ministry of Tourism as also consultation with the Wellness Tourism Service Providers, State Governments and other stakeholders.
Travelling for health and wellness
The term ‘Medical Tourism’ also known as medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare is used to describe the rapidly-growing practice of travelling across international borders to seek healthcare services. Services typically sought by travellers include elective procedures as well as complex surgeries, etc.
While addressing the inaugural session of CII Asia Health 2021, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that it was due to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that health had been linked with development in India and underlined that the country’s healthcare sector has immense investment opportunities. Mandaviya urged the private sector to invest in the Indian healthcare sector, saying the country has the potential to become a hub of international health tourism.
“Earlier health meant only treatment but development has now been linked to health. Only a healthy society can become a prosperous country and this is Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s primary thinking,” he said. The theme of the summit was ’transforming healthcare for a better tomorrow’. Emphasising that preventive care is an essential component of the health sector, he said that initiatives such as ‘Khelo India’ and Yoga play a vital role in realising the aim of a healthy society.