INTRODUCTION

Medical tourism can be broadly defined as provision of

'cost effective' private medical care in collaboration

with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical
and other forms of specialized treatment. This process
is being facilitated by the corporate sector involved in
medical care as well as the tourism industry - both
private and public.

Medical tourists are generally residents of the industrialized

nations of the world and primarily come from
The United States
Canada,
Great Britain,
Western Europe
Australia,
Middle East.
But more and more, people from many other countries of the
world are seeking out places where they can combine
vacationing and obtaining their medical care at an
affordable cost.

 The medical tourism in India has been increasing every

year for the spectrum of treatments that are being

offered in most major hospitals which are:Cardiac Surgery
Orthopedics
Gynecology
Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery
Obesity surgery
Ophthalmology
Dentistry
Urology

WHY INDIA?
India offers World Class Medical Facilities, comparable

with any of the western countries. India has state of the

art Hospitals and the best qualified doctors. With the
best infrastructure, the best possible Medical facilities,
accompanied with the most competitive prices, you can
get the treatment done in India at the lowest charges.
India is in the process of becoming the Global Health

Destination

 The cost of medical services in India is almost 30% lower

to that in Western countries and the cheapest in Southeast Asia.

Indian hospitals excel in cardiology and cardiothoracic

surgery, joint replacements, transplants, cosmetic

treatments, dental care, orthopedic surgery

LOW COST
Offshore medical procedures are conducted for as

much as one-tenth the cost of a comparable treatment

in developed countries due to the economic disparity.
A bone-marrow transplant which would cost you
around $250,000 in the US and 150,000 in UK will
cost you a mere $26,000 in India. A patient can
successfully get a gastric bypass surgery in India by
paying just $9,500 as against a $65,000 price tag for the
same in the US. It is also a good idea to avail a medical
tourism package which would include airfare,
accommodation charges and a visit to some of the
holiday destinations in the country.

Medical tourism structure in India

Classification of the services spectrum of

medical tourism across globe

The Current Scenario

Medical Tourism is poised to be the next Indian

success story after Information Technology.

According to a CII study the Industrys earning
potential estimated at Rs.5000-10000 Crore by 2012.
Medical tourism can contribute Rs 5,000- 10,000 Crore
additional revenue for up- market tertiary hospitals by
2012and will account for 3-5% of the total healthcare
delivery market.

 The major service providers in Indian medical tourism

:
The Apollo Hospital, Escorts Hospital, Fortis
Hospitals, Breach Candy, Hinduja, Mumbais Asian
Heart Institute, Arvind Eye Hospital, Manipal
Hospitals, Mallya Hospital, AIIMS.
In terms of location- Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and
Mumbai cater to the maximum number of the health
tourists and are fast emerging as medical tourism
hubs.
Nowadays medical tourism in India includes advanced
and life savings health care services like open
transpalnts, cardio vascular surgery,

 CONTU.
Eye treatment, knee/ hip different cosmetic surgeries

and alternate systems of medicine.

Growth
The commitment to provide comprehensive healthcare

to all citizens, irrespective of their paying capacity, was

given up by the Indian government after 30 years of the
Indian independence.
After the globalization and liberalization of Indian
economy on 1991, the government of India has opened
up medical service to the voluntary and private sectors
for foreign tourists and other citizen who can pay to
get the high tech medical services.

 The rapid growth of the private sector over the 1980s

and the emergence of a corporate health sector in the

1980s was a part of the comprehensive policy that
choose to promote these segments.
As a part of medical tourism, India is recognized as the
cradle for the test tube babies and is popular for
surrogacy services .
Over than these, India offer high tech cardiac,
paediatric, dental, cosmetic and orthopaedic surgical
services as well as the traditional healing systems.

 One estimate by Pricewaterhouse Coopers projects

that the Indian healthcare sector should be worth

about $40 billion by 2012.
In 2008 the size of the industry was around Rs. 1,500
crores. Indias medical tourism sector is expected to
experience an annual growth rate of 30 percent,
making it a Rs. 9,500 crore industry by 2015.
Estimates of the value of medical tourism to India go
as high as $2 billion a year by 2012.

Medical tourism product in India

Medical tourism value chain

Pre procedure stage

Procedure stage

Post procedure stage

Cost comparison between India,

USA, Thailand and Singapore

Developing Strategies on Indian

Medical Tourism
The Developing strategies on indian medical tourism

is based on the 7 ps of marketing mix:

Product
Price
Place
Process
Physical Evidence
People
promotion

Conclusion
India is emerging as an attractive, affordable for

healthcare & BUT there are some challenges that the

country has to overcome to become a tourist
destination with competent health care industry. The
government should step in the role of a regulator and a
facilitator of private investment in healthcare. An apex
body for the industry needs to be formed to promote
the India brand abroad and aid inter- sectoral
coordination. Joint ventures with overseas partners
and establishment of MEDICITIES will help in India
building a significant advantage and leadership position
in the industry.

References
CII- Mckinsey (2002): Health care in India : The Road

Ahead, CII, Mckinsey and company and Healthcare

federation, New Delhi.
Cohen, E.(2010). Medical Tourism, A critical
evaluation Tourism Recreation Research, 35(3), 225238
International journal of Multidisciplinary Research
Vol.1 Issue 3, july 2011, ISSN 2231 5780