1. Medical tourism body created
The thriving medical tourism sector is now to be regulated, following the introduction of the International Medical Travel Association (IMTA). Established in some of the key medical tourism destinations – Thailand, Singapore, India and Malaysia – the IMTA stands to promote the interest of clients and the medical tourism industry itself. According to Dr Steven Tucker, President of the IMTA, “IMTA intends to protect the integrity of the care provider-patient relationship, to ultimately and most importantly protect the interests of the travelling patient.” Monday, April 02, 2007
Source: ArabianBusiness
Investments in Medical Tourism
1. Medical Tourism India
It turns out that India's top-notch educational system is not only bringing forth computer programmers and engineers, but a lot of doctors as well. In fact, it has been estimated that India produces as much as 20,000 to 30,000 doctors and nurses annually. This shows that it has the potential to welcome over a million medical tourists each year, according to a CII study. As predicted by the report, "By 2012, if medical tourism were to reach 25 per cent of revenues of private up-market players, up to Rs 10,000 crore will be added to the revenues of these players." Medical tourism in India is growing at a whopping rate of 30 percent on an annual basis.
What makes India stand out from the others? Firstly, price advantage. In some instances, the prices are as low as a sixteenth of what the West has to offer. While open-heart surgery could cost as much as $70,000 in Britain and $150,000 in The US, in India, it only costs about Rs. 350,000, that is, US $7,700. Dental, eye and cosmetic surgeries in Western countries cost three to four times as much as in India. Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Source: Medical Tourism
Holistic Healing Centres
1. Uday Samudra Ayurveda Resort, Kovalam
Uday Samudra is rumored to be a "lifetime passion". It has a highly maintained Ayurvedic Health centre and has recently formed a tie with Pankajkasthuri Herbals India Ltd., a well-reputed manufacturer of Ayurvedic products. Through their Panchakarma Centres, myriad patients have been cured of ailments such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, to name a few. In Uday Samudra, we find a team of two male and two female therapists who are under the supervision of a qualified Ayurveda physician appointed by the company. Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Source: India Hotels & Resorts
Visa Related Developments
1. Expo organiser to boost Bahrain-India tourism ties
A major travel exhibition is being organized to help strengthen tourism ties between India and Bahrain. Magnum Events and Exhibitions Management (MEEM), will join India Tourism Dubai in a major campaign to elevate the level of tourism between Bahrain and India. At a Press Conference, Magnum Holdings chairman said: “As part of the campaign, a 76-page full colour brochure on India in Arabic and English will be launched at BITE 2007 next month.” He also revealed that the event is to be held under the benefaction of the Crown Prince at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre from the 8th-10th of May. According to Mr. Wafa, chairman and chief executive of the Unitag Group: “The India Tourism regional office in Dubai will be encouraged to undertake a familiarisation trip for Arab journalists to India.”
Initiatives are being taken in the tourism sector with the objective of provi8ding visitors to “Incredibe India” with experiences that would distinguish themselves as “spiritually enhancing, culturally enriching, physically invigorating and mentally rejuvenating.” The introduction of the Medical Visa is expected to help in the growth of India's medical tourism industry. Under this visa, a patient can come to India for a period of one year, which can be extended to a three-year period. Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Source: Gulf daily News
Hospitals
1. Hirandani Hospital
Hirandani Hospital in Mumbai is known to be one the finest hospitals in the country. It excels in various medical fields – some of them being cardiology (including Primary Angioplasty), joint replacement, hip resurfacing & hip arthroscopy, bariatric surgery, aesthetics and hair rejuvenation surgery, a centre for dental surgery and a dedicated section for infertility with an In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) centre. Their mission - "To be the preferred choice for healing and good health.” Their focus - “To be your family hospital.” The hospital goes on to say, “We will not be the largest hospital, but we will be the best.” Friday, April 06,2007
Source: Hirandani Hospital
Travel Agencies
1. Treasure Tours & Travels to tap medical tourism segment
Medical tourism in India holds tremendous potential, and is believed to hit about Rs. 10,000 crore by 2012 (according to a CII study). For this reason, Treasure Tours & Travels is coming up with schemes to offer services in this sector. In a statement regarding these developments, managing director of Treasure Tours & Travels, Iqbal Mulla said, "We have set up a panel of 12 doctors, experts in their respective field of treatment to form an advisory committee. Our strategy is to affiliate with leading hospitals, insurance companies and physicians abroad, develop partnerships with airlines, hospitals and hotels in India, to offer an integrated package to patients seeking treatment and post-operative recovery."
Mulla also says that Treasure Tours & Travels is considering hospitals such as Lilavati Hirandani Hospital in Mumbai. He emphasized: "It is critical to get logistics right as healthcare is a critical here." Monday, April 02, 2007
Source: ExpressIndia
Miscellaneous
1. The doctor is in India
According to Dr G.S. Wander, Chief Cardiologist and Coordinator at Hero DMC Heart Institute (HDHI), “India is all set to become one of the favored destinations for overseas patients as far as advanced healthcare is concerned.” It is an accumulation of factors that give India advantage over the developed countries, and also its rivals like Thailand and Singapore. Dr Wander continues by informing us that “A cardiac procedure costs anywhere between US $40,000 and 60,000 in the US, $30,000 in Singapore, $12,000-15,000 in Thailand and only $3,000-6000 in India. The associated costs of surgery are also low.” Dr Wanders statement has been confirmed by a Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) study. The success rate of cardiac bypasses in India is known to be extremely high (98.7 percent) as compared to the success rate in the US (97.5 percent). Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Source: Ludhiana Newsline
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—About our writers:
Dr. Roopa Nishi Viswanathan, “Live life by the day.” Born in Hyderabad, brought up in Mumbai, settled in Bangalore after living in the US, Dr. Roopa Nishi Viswanathan is a doctor-turned-biotechnologist-turned writer. Today Nishi is Chief Content Officer of Chillibreeze!
Rachel Ralte is a writer with Chillibreeze
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Medical Tourism Policy
