Medical tourism is an age-old practice of travelling long distances for affordable healthcare. With increasingly developed medical facilities and requirements for cost-effective treatment and care, the medical tourism industry has been growing at a rapid rate. This booming industry worldwide has reached close to $100 billion, with Asia having the largest share of contribution to it. India has become one of the most attractive Asian destinations as far as medical tourism is concerned. Its medical facilities and healthcare services bring billions of dollars every year into the country.
Opportunities and advantages
With a good level of contribution to the global medical tourism industry by attracting patients from various first-world countries, India has displayed great potential for leading the healthcare markets. Various factors can become great opportunities for India regarding the future growth and development of medical tourism in the country. One major advantage is the cost factor. The treatment in India costs about 1/0th of what a developed country offers, even when talked about a complex medical surgery. Due to better research and development in the pharmaceutical industry and low drug development costs, India has also been able to provide cost-effective medication.
Another advantage of India is in the quality of healthcare it offers. There are various state-of-the-art medical facilities and immense talent in terms of internationally trained healthcare professionals. The caregiver staff and professionals are competent to communicate in English that gives them an edge while interacting with medical tourists from all global destinations. The involvement of private sector in the healthcare field has also created a great opportunity for India to place itself well in the medical tourism industry. In addition, India has always attracted tourists through its rich and luxurious culture, as well as its alternative medical techniques like yoga and spiritual healing.
Challenges for India to Overcome
In spite of so many advantages that create wider medical tourism opportunities for India, there are certain aspects that can hinder its effort in the field. An important concern is its infrastructure that lacks at some places to provide better flight connectivity, proper roads, and healthy water and food. If infrastructure development were targeted, it would support India in attracting more tourists. In addition, many medical facilities are still not internationally accredited in India. This is a good area to work in, as making these facilities meet higher healthcare standards can add extra facilities to its kitty.
Apart from the above factors, patients are concerned about hygiene levels in medical facilities. Thus, medical attendants need to be made more aware of it. They also require to be trained for better interpersonal and communication skills. Additionally, there is good scope for improvement in the area of service marketing. People in other countries need to know how India can help them effectively regarding their healthcare issues. Some joint ventures with medical care firms in other countries would also support its marketing efforts. There is an overall better review of bureaucratic policies required to grow in the medical tourism industry. Thus, opportunities can be well cashed-in if the country overcomes its limitations.
