Look at the facts stated for Medical tourism in India-
“Every year, over 2 million patients from 78 countries from India visit India for medical, wellness, and IVF treatments. This industry generates $6 billion in revenue, increasing to $13 billion by 2026. Also, the Indian government’s Heal in India initiative backs the medical tourism in India.”
“India is the 10th rank holder on the MTI 2020-21 (Medical Tourism Index)”
Sounds quite fascinating, right?
Before moving further, let me describe medical tourism in short. So, this term refers to a situation when you travel to another country/city/ or place for medical care. It can be domestic as well as international.
Now, the question is- Why do thousands choose India for medical tourism? Is it because of the affordable price or high quality?
Well, there are multiple reasons behind it. So, let’s reveal the secrets of booming medical tourism in India!
(A) Reasons behind the rise of Medical Tourism in India
Let’s discuss the reasons one by one-
(A.1) Affordable Cost of Treatment
This is the most significant reason for the boom in medical tourism in our country. See, when you offer good quality products and services at pocket-friendly prices, your business flourishes rapidly. That’s the same with the medical tourism sector of India.
We offer the treatment costs at 1/10th of the price of the treatment in the US or UK. Yes, we offer good facilities at pocket-friendly prices as compared to the developed countries!
This fact adds to the pride of Indians for providing world-class healthcare at an affordable rate.
(A.2) A wide variety of Treatment
The next secret to our rising medical tourism is the broad range of treatments that we offer. These are-
- Medical Treatment: Treatment for curative purposes like alternative medicine, bone marrow transplant, cardiac bypass, eye surgery, and joint replacement.
- Wellness & Rejuvenation: Offers services related to rejuvenation or aesthetic reasons including cosmetic surgery, stress relief, spas, etc.
- Traditional Systems of Medicine: We offer traditional medicines known as AYUSH i.e. Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy.
(A.3) Good Quality of Care
So, here comes another crucial factor that amplifies the incoming tourists for medical treatments. We offer superb quality medical care. Let me explain it in detail.
India possesses 839 NABH-accredited hospitals. The acronym NABH refers to the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers. It is a constituent board of QCI (Quality Council of India). It was set up in 2005 to standardize hospitals and healthcare providers.
(A.4) Diversified Locations of Medical Care
In India, medical treatments aren’t just confined to the national capital (Delhi). Numerous Indian cities offer first-class medical care viz.-
- Chennai (India’s health capital)
- Bengaluru
- Delhi NCR (Noida, Gurugram, and Faridabad)
- Kolkata
- Mumbai
- Jaipur
- Kerala (Kochi, Trivandrum, Calicut, Western Ghats)
- Hisar Medicity (Upcoming medical hub_
Chennai- India’s Health Capital
Don’t you wonder why Chennai is termed as “India’s health capital”? Well, that is due to its high numbers of Multi- and super-specialty hospitals. It receives approx. 150 international patients every day.
Also, Chennai’s medical tourist ratio is like this-
- International Medical Tourists: 45%
- Domestic Health Tourists: 30-40%
Some other reasons for this are-
- Low treatment costs
- Negligible waiting period
- 12,500 hospital beds
- Advanced dental clinics boosting dental care tourism.
(A.5) Easy & Smooth Travel Facility
As you have read above, more than 2 million medical tourists (patients) travel to India for treatment. There must be something that facilitates the travel of foreigners so that they can enter India easily. Isn’t it?
Well, yes! Our government has taken a few initiatives to boost our medical tourism viz.-
- Heal India initiative
- Medical Value Travel Digital Portal
- Expanded e-tourism visa regime: Under this visa, the tourists can stay for 6 months and receive any type of medical treatment except Organ transplants. Organ transplants need a proper medical visa.
- Ayush Visa Category
- Removed visa restrictions on tourist visas: Well, under this restriction if you belong to any Gulf country, then you had to take a 2-month gap between consecutive visits. Removal of this restriction has boosted medical tourism.
- Visa-on-arrival Scheme for tourists from a few countries: For medical reasons, tourists can stay in India for 30 days.
(A.6) No Language Barrier
Do you know what’s the biggest challenge for folks while travelling abroad? Language! Yes, no matter how much Google Translate you use, nothing can beat the one-to-one conversation with medical professionals.
A majority of medical tourists belong to Arabic, Russian, and English-speaking countries.
Fortunately, English is one of the official languages of India. And almost all the medical professionals in the world speak English. Hence, it becomes easier for foreigners to have clear communication with the doctors.
What if the medical tourists aren’t well-versed in English? Don’t worry! India has a solution for that too! In Noida, the hospitals have begun hiring language translators. This initiative was immensely helpful for patients from Balkan and African countries.
(B) What do the statistics say about Medical Tourism in India?
The countries that send a significant number of medical tourists to India include the following-
- Bangladesh
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Australia
- Canada
- China
- Russia
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Middle East (35%)
- Africa (51%)
As per the data, Bangladesh contributed the most to the Medical Tourists to India. It accounted for 57% of arrivals in 2019.
In 2023, the number of medical tourists from Bangladesh to India increased by 48% compared to 2022, with 4.49 lakh patients visiting India. Most of these patients went to West Bengal for treatment.
(C) Challenges Faced by the Medical Tourism Sector in India
It is not always sunshine for the Indian Medical Tourism Sector. This sector has faced numerous challenges. Some of the major ones are-
- Controversies: As per the Huffington Post, Indian doctors were facing problems with corporate hospitals. They were pressured to allure more patients and slap them with expensive medical services. They were pressuring doctors to become a salesperson.
- Charging high prices for medical services and supplies
- Lacking strict regulations and proper support for the safety of foreign patients.
- Ethical issues related to the doctor-patient relationship.
- Privacy & Security concerns related to the use of EHRs (Electronic Health Records).
- Difficult for foreign patients to coordinate with other services like transportation and hotels.
- Low community participation and awareness about medical tourism in India.
(D) Final Words
Despite those challenges, medical tourism in India is increasing rapidly. Our affordable treatment through highly skilled medical professionals and advanced medical technology has made it possible. India holds the 10th spot when it comes to the most preferable destination for healthcare services.
The global medical tourism industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.1%, especially from the pre-covid scale of $80 billion. And this will be highly beneficial for the medical tourism sector of India.
Before ending, we would like you to go through the business models of the following e-pharma companies which contribute to the medical field of India-
What do you think about the future of medical tourism in India? Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section. Thanks for reading 🙂
