Introduction
The country of India is known for its famous Taj Mahal and sacred Ganges River. Today, aside from its diverse beliefs, India is considered as one of the several countries who have been engage in the medical tourism industry. This is the current trend that most undeveloped or developing countries have been dealing with in the past years. The industry regarding medical tourism have open a lot opportunities for them to harness better progression in their economy. Yearly, a great number of foreigners have been supporting these practices and they even become inclined with it to the point that they rather have their medications and surgery done in such country. To take with that, most of these patients are from developed countries which as we all know, can also provide these kinds of services. The reason to this instant progression of medical tourism is that they provide a more affordable amount in their medical services compare to which of the highly advance countries. Hence, the tourist patients also enjoy their stay within the relaxing sceneries that country provides. India became one of the popular medical travel worldwide destinations.
Moreover, there are certain issues being thrown regarding this matter. Including the risk included in every medical practice that they will be involve in. What makes the patients rely to their offers and services?
India as a Healthcare System Provider
Being a populous country, lately, India has been occupying the territory in the health tourism industry. The country is considered as the most favorable tourist destinations in the world both in terms of leisure and medications. It would no longer a surprise if later on; India will become an international hub for medical tourism care. They are popular particularly in heart surgery, hip resurfacing and other areas of advanced medicine. They even become the choice preferred by most US citizens who seek for high-end and complicated medical procedures.
Of course, before a country settles with this kind of practices. They first seek for international accreditation. There should always be a standards implemented when it comes to health care especially in this particular situation wherein the patient is considered a complete stranger in the place and it would be very difficult for them to have their medications if the country or the provider is not reliable enough to comfort their needs. These include even the non-clinical aspects of health tourism such as the language issues, business practices and false advertising prevention. Also, the group of the Healthcare Tourism International provides accreditation on major industry that is also involved in medical tourism. These industries are the hotels, recovery facilities and the booking agencies.
Apparently, India has passed all the requirements needed for a country to be highly accredited. In fact, most of their equipments and infrastructures are just of the same degree with the ones that have been used in the United States of America and in United Kingdom. They also offer the best hospitals and facilities among their patients. The country even incorporated its natural wonders in this medical tourism because they believe that even the nature has something to do with the patient’s recovery.
Another highly considerable factor why a lot of tourist chooses India as their medical care destination is because the doctors and other health care attendants there are capable of speaking the English language. This factor is very important among the tourist patients. It would be very difficult for them to settle in a place wherein communication would be very much undesirable. The good thing is, in India, the doctors were highly trainable and very much passionate in their professions.
Medical treatments in India are not only recommendable due to its services and facilities offered. As a matter of fact, the costs of each treatment are much affordable. Take note of this, the cost of surgery in India is only the 10% of the total cost of it in America or Western Europe. Imagine the difference of the heart-valve replacement in America, probably it would cost around $ 220, 000 but in India, it would only cost ,000 which includes the roundtrip air fare and the a brief vacation package. Who wouldn’t be attracted with this kind of compensation?
Unfortunately, arguments about this matter is cannot be avoided, aside from the fact that this practices are getting more and more popular within whole world. Critics have been deteriorating the progression of the health tourism among the developing counties like India because they believe that the risk is much higher compare to the locally-provided medical care. They stated that these countries may have several of infectious-diseased which may not be that particular to the western country. These diseases may weaken the immune system of a certain individual which is not used to the kind of ailment. There would also be cases wherein these diseases may not easily diagnose due to its rareness in the west. Another thing that they look up to regarding the health tourism is the long flights that a patient will be encountered after the medication; this will only increase the risk of complications. However, it has been decided that to minimize this type of problem, the medical tourism patients should also include their vacation in the preferred destination to have a longer recovery period. Lastly is criticizing the facilities and the dissatisfaction that the patients receive but since 2004, the World Health Organization have launched the World Alliance for Patient Safety which assist all the hospitals and government around the world about the harnessing the proper safety policy and practices regarding the medical tourism services.
Conclusion
The rapid growth of India’s health tourism is undeniable. The country even projected that by the year 2012, the value of medical tourism will go as much billion. The government is making its move to be able to improve more the countries infrastructures to be able to meet the growing demand of their health tourism. Their country has gained popularity with this type of industry. They have also established a name within this field and the entire have to do now is to make further improvements regarding it. Gradually, India is facing a different kind of progression. Who would have thought that a country like them manages to blast off from the obscurity that they have been to, several years ago?
Reference
Health Tourism.2008. Online Encyclopedia.[Online]. Available at http://www.encyclopedia.com [accessed 22 July 2008]
India.2008. Online Encyclopedia.[Online]. Available at http://www.encyclopedia.com [accessed 22 July 2008]
Jain, N. (2005, September 13). Health Tourism in India.[Online].Available at http://ezinearticles.com/?Health-Tourism-in-India&id=70893 accessed [22 July 2008]
Medical Healthcare Tourism [Online]. Available at http://www.medicaltoursindia.com/medicaltourism.html accessed [ 22 July 2008]
Medical Tourism India. [Online]. Available at http://www.medical-tourism-india.com/ accessed [ 22 July 2008]
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