Medical Tourism in INDIA
The 3rd International India Medical Tourism Congress (IIMTC) being held in Hyderabad from September 3-4 will provide a platform for national and international players from wellness and medical tourism industry to meet and greet, discuss policies and trans
IIMTC has gradually evolved to be India’s first and only platform for delegates from the health sector from across the globe to discuss the policies and procedures, legal framework, latest trends, competitors and stakeholders and medical business acumen etc. With a vision to help India become a preferred medical tourism destination in the world, the Congress is organised by International Indian Wellness and Medical Tourism Association (IIWMTA) and Society of Critical Care Emergency Medicine (SCCEM), which aims to streamline, promote, and propagate ‘Brand India’ in the arena of medical tourism.
FOR AGENTS
The Hosted Buyer programme provides a preset number of discounts in registrations, accommodation and flights to medical travel organisations, government bodies, insurance agents and other qualified buyers. Travel agents can learn how to build business models from industry experts and partner with medical providers, hotels, spas and wellness centres. The conference also allows a breeding ground for business and knowledge sharing between the key stakeholders of the industry.
Dr. H.N. Garg, President, SCCEM, says, “Our agenda is to promote medical tourism in India. Calling hosted buyers from different countries on a single platform to India to promote medical tourism is a unique feature of the Congress. The platform will facilitate a stage to show new technology in medical science. A hundred delegates from more than 50 countries are expected at the Congress.”
PERFORMANCE OF INDIAN MEDICAL TOURISM INDUSTRY
India is presently in an unprecedented state of boom as far as the industry is concerned in terms of growth and investor interest in the sector. According to Dr. V.S. Venkatesh, Chief Executive Officer, Dr Joy Dental Clinic, Dubai, “We are observing greater quantum on capital inflow in wide array of projects even in the Tier II and Tier III cities. Small nursing homes and small hospitals are raising funds to
increase their bed strengths through capital infusion from venture capital funds, private equity, mergers or acquisitions.” He explains that while Apollo has been making steady progress in its national capacity build up, there are many like Birla, Fortis, Global Care, AMRI and Max etc., which are moving beyond their hitherto comfort zone of regional dominance.
Dr. Prem Jagyasi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Prem and Associates, and a renowned author in the field of medical and wellness tourism, adds, "Thus far, India has done exceedingly well in being a major contributor to the global medical tourism industry worth $439 billion and it is estimated to grow by 25 per cent annually according to VISA and Oxford Economics report- Mapping the Future of Global Travel and Tourism.”
TRENDS
According to Jagyasi, “In the next few years, I can see more medial tourists coming to India for bone-marrow transplants, eye surgeries, cardiac bypass surgeries, alternative medicines, heart surgeries, hip replacements, advanced medicines, hip resurfacing treatments, and dental tourism. Better healthcare facilities, quality infrastructure, improved transportation, and ease of connectivity are some of the areas that will definitely improve with time.” Venkatesh adds that investments from other countries will increase and more international healthcare players will want a share of Indian healthcare industry. “We have already seen the VPS Healthcare, Aster Group and Thumbay Group start acquisitions in India. Healthcare needs being specialised and ever increasing, there would be more avenues of specialised and niche segment hospitals, clinics and centres. Customisation of services and delivery mechanisms will increase, alternate medical systems will proliferate and focus will shift towards wellness management from illness management.” The experts also point out that a consolidation will happen in terms of offering India as a destination of not just one branch of healthcare services but a wide array of alternate systems of medicine like AYUSH.
INDIA’S USP
“International patients have begun to seek the lowest cost and the highest quality medical treatments in India. Other factors that make India one of the most preferred medical tourism destinations include ease of travel and the fact that people here converse in English in almost all parts of the country,” says Jagyasi. Vekatesh explains that the general concept of medical tourism is widely based on accessibility of care, economics and quality. “India has highly qualified doctors
India has highly qualified doctors who are reputed worldwide for their academic and clinical acumen and technology on a par with international standards
who are reputed worldwide for their academic and clinical acumen and technology on a par with international standards. People from developing and under-developed countries come for accessibility of healthcare which is unavailable in their countries while travellers from developed countries come for cost advantage.”
CHALLENGES BEING FACED
“As of now, India attracts only three per cent of medical tourism traffic, lacks effective marketing strategies, and has considerably complicated and lengthy visa processes for medical tourists. Furthermore, the presence of unorganised and unaccredited support system needs to be worked upon at the right earnest,” says Jagyasi. Pointing out other deterrents, Venkatesh adds that apart from the challenge to provide international quality services, the bigger challenge is to draw in patients from affordable developed countries where the demand for high quality transportation, stay for accompanying family members, safety and security and hygiene standards are high. “Infrastructure development of overall public and civic facilities, taxations of unequal nature across the country, diverse hospital sectors charging abnormal rates are all deterrents,” he says.
DENTAL TOURISM: INDIA’S NEXT CROWN JEWEL?
At present there are five Dental Spas in India and the dental services market is a huge one. According to Venkatesh, Indian entrepreneurs in healthcare sector still lack a world view of the opportunity as most of them are so busy catering to the local needs that they hardly have the vision, appetite or patience to grow the industry to international standards. “I strongly feel India is the right destination for Dental Tourism considering the availability of international technology and expertise at just one fraction of a cost, the huge possibility of experiencing different parts of the country and yet completing the treatment aptly. I find countries like Thailand, Portugal and Jordan are quite ahead in terms of technology as well as initiative to market dental tourism services. They provide facilities for tourists and patients of an uber standard, be it in dentistry, allied cosmetic or well being,” he says.