The relaxation of medical visa norms for patients from SAARC countries will not only help hospitals, but also boost the hotel and medical devices industries, and other tourism sectors.
Medical tourism, unlike other forms of tourism, was not affected by global recession. K.R. Shanmugam, director of Madras School of Economics, says, “A city like Chennai, with a number of JCI and NABH accredited hospitals, has great medical tourism potential, which will mean increased foreign exchange earnings.”
Prof. Shanmugam, who has compiled a white paper on the state of medical tourism in the country, says 30 per cent of foreigner patients come for cardiac treatments. Other popular treatment areas are orthopaedics, including joint replacements, nephrology, neurosurgery, cancer and cosmetic surgeries, including facelifts.
Chennai has the advantage of being close to several tourist destinations. It also has an international airport and is well-connected. “Typically, a patient who spends one week here on treatment will spend some time recuperating and visiting important tourist destinations,” he says.
People who undergo treatment in Chennai often visit nearby temples and go to Mamallapuram. The proximity to Kerala, for massages and Ayurvedic treatments, is also an advantage, says Prof. Shanmugam.
According to Raju Venkatraman, convenor, healthcare panel, Confederation of Indian Industry, the one big advantage that India offers is low cost of living. “In a place like Chennai, the cost of living is not much and the outcomes of treatments are comparable to those of any other country in the world,” he says.
“Patients spend $1,000 to $1,200 a day on hospitals and healthcare, which is cheaper than countries like Singapore or Malaysia. If around 1,000 patients come to the city, 300 days a year, the city can earn about $30,00,00,000 in a year,” he says.
When it comes to the medical devices industry, the boost to medical tourism will help bolster the industry and vice versa, according to G.S. Bhuvaneshwar, director, innovation and education, Trivitron Healthcare.
“At present, although there are a few companies in the field, poor government regulations and duty structures make it easier for people to import medical devices. If companies begin to produce these devices aggressively, the cost of medical procedures in India will drop considerably,” he says.
