What is Medical Tourism
Medical tourism is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of traveling across international borders or within country to obtain health care. Services typically sought by travelers include elective procedures as well as complex specialized surgeries such as joint replacement (knee/hip), cardiac surgery, renal and liver transplant, bone-marrow transplant, dental surgery, and cosmetic surgeries.
Medical Tourism in India
India is a perfect destination for medical tourism. India excels in providing quality and cheap health care services to overseas tourists. The field has such lucrative potential that it can become a $3.4 billion business by 2018, states a study by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). India’s medical tourism sector is expected to experience an annual growth rate of 35%. Most estimates claim treatment costs in India start at around a tenth of the price of comparable treatment in western countries. The most popular treatments sought in India by medical tourists are alternative medicine, bone-marrow transplant, cardiac bypass surgery, eye surgery and orthopedic surgery. India is known in particular for heart surgery, hip resurfacing and other areas of advanced medicine.
