medical tourism corporation india

DESTINATION

Brief Introduction to the Country and its Reputation in Medical Tourism

India has long been a captivating destination, not just for its cultural richness and historical grandeur, but increasingly for its advancements in healthcare. Recognized as one of the premier medical tourism destinations, India welcomes hundreds of thousands of medical tourists each year. The combination of cutting-edge technology, highly qualified healthcare professionals, and affordable treatments has solidified India's reputation as a medical tourism powerhouse. From elective procedures to critical surgeries, the country provides an expansive range of high-quality medical services to international patients.

Historical and Cultural Significance in Medicine

The roots of Indian medical practices can be traced back to its ancient systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, and Siddha, which are still prevalent and integrated into modern medicine. The country's historical commitment to medical research and surgery is exemplified by figures like Susruta, an ancient Indian physician often dubbed the "Father of Surgery." Modern Indian healthcare draws from this rich history, amalgamating traditional practices with contemporary medical science.

An International Hub for Medical Excellence

Indian hospitals and healthcare providers are increasingly being accredited by international organizations, underscoring their commitment to quality and excellence. The growth of private hospitals catering specifically to international patients is another feather in India’s medical cap.

Cutting-Edge Innovation and Technology

From robotic surgeries to pioneering techniques in cardiology and oncology, Indian healthcare providers are at the forefront of medical innovation. State-of-the-art facilities and medical equipment are now standard in many Indian hospitals, making the country an attractive option for those seeking advanced medical treatments not available or affordable in their home countries.

Popular Medical Procedures

List and brief descriptions of procedures.

India is especially known for offering quality treatments in the following areas:

• Cardiology (including heart transplants)
• Orthopedic surgeries (like knee and hip replacements)
• Cosmetic surgery
• Dental care
• Oncology (cancer treatments)
• Ophthalmology

Specializations or Pioneering Treatments

India has gained recognition for specialized treatments like Ayurvedic Therapies, stem cell therapy, and minimally invasive surgeries. Hospitals are also engaging in groundbreaking research and offering cutting-edge treatments in neurosurgery and cardiovascular care.

Top Hospitals & Clinics

Renowned hospitals.

• Apollo Hospitals
• Fortis Healthcare
• Max Healthcare
• Medanta - The Medicity

Accreditation and Affiliation Details

Most top-tier hospitals are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) and many have Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation.

Special Features, Awards, or Recognitions

Many Indian hospitals have won national and international awards for excellence in healthcare delivery and patient safety.

Cost Comparison

Comparative data.

On average, the cost of medical procedures in India is about 60-90% lower than in the United States, without compromising on quality. For example, a heart bypass surgery that costs upwards of $100,000 in the U.S. could cost as low as $5,000 in India.

Price Ranges

The following are approximate price ranges for some popular treatments:

• Knee Replacement: $4,000 - $9,000
• Hip Replacement: $5,000 - $10,000
• Heart Bypass: $5,000 - $8,000

Quality & Safety

Medical standards and practices.

India upholds high standards in medical practices, often on par with Western countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. The country has a rigorous medical education system that produces a large number of highly qualified doctors and nurses each year.

Accreditation Systems and Regulatory Bodies

Apart from international accreditations like JCI, Indian hospitals often seek accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH), a constituent board of Quality Council of India. This ensures that the hospitals meet stringent guidelines in terms of quality and patient safety.

Quality Checks and Patient Safety Protocols

Hospitals and clinics in India are equipped with the latest technology to ensure accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Patient safety protocols are strictly followed, and quality checks are performed regularly to ensure the highest standards are maintained.

Patient Rights

Patients in India have the right to confidentiality, informed consent, and access to their medical records. Hospitals have dedicated International Patient Services departments that assist foreign patients in navigating healthcare in India.

Medical Visa Information

Guidelines and requirements.

International patients can apply for a Medical Visa, usually designated as ‘Med Visa’, which is specifically intended for medical treatments in India.

Duration, Documentation, and Application Process

A Medical Visa usually has a duration of up to one year or the period of treatment, whichever is less. Required documents often include a letter from a local doctor, a letter from the Indian hospital agreeing to treat you, and proof of financial stability. Online applications are generally processed within a week.

Travel-related Advisories or Restrictions

It is advisable to consult your home country’s embassy or consulate for any travel advisories or restrictions related to India, especially due to the evolving situation with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cultural Considerations

Local customs and etiquette.

While the hospital staff is usually well-versed in international etiquette, understanding local customs like greetings and modest dress codes can enhance your stay.

Language Barriers

English is widely spoken in Indian medical facilities. However, translators for other languages can usually be arranged by the hospital.

Dietary Considerations

Indian cuisine is diverse and can be spicy. Most hospitals offer international cuisine to cater to the dietary needs of foreign patients.

Travel & Accommodation

Popular and recommended areas to stay.

Areas near major hospitals in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai offer a range of accommodation options, from budget hotels to luxury suites.

Proximity to Medical Facilities

Staying close to the hospital is advisable for convenience, and many hospitals offer in-house accommodation options for international patients.

Transportation Facilities

Public transport in major Indian cities is generally good, with options ranging from taxis to metro services. Private car hire services are also readily available.

Post-procedure Relaxation and Recuperation Spots

India offers a plethora of tourist attractions, from serene beaches in Goa to the peaceful Himalayan regions, ideal for post-procedure relaxation.

Legal & Ethical Considerations

Legal rights of patients.

Patients have the right to legal recourse in case of medical negligence or malpractice, although the legal process can be lengthy.

Medical Malpractice Laws

India has a set of laws dealing with medical malpractice and negligence, aimed at protecting the patient's rights.

Ethical Considerations

Issues like organ transplants are strictly regulated, and only relatives can donate organs, with some exceptions.

Benefits & Risks

The major benefits of choosing India for medical treatment include cost-effectiveness, high quality of healthcare, and the availability of specialized treatments.

Risks or Concerns

Potential risks include varying standards among healthcare providers and long waiting times for certain treatments, though these are not common at leading hospitals.

Post-procedure Care

Post-operative care.

Indian medical institutions offer comprehensive post-operative care, including physical rehabilitation services.

Availability and Quality of Rehabilitation Centers

Several top-notch rehabilitation centers are available for procedures requiring long-term care, such as joint replacements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Is it safe to have surgery in India? Yes, if you choose accredited hospitals, patient safety and quality are generally excellent.
• Do doctors in India speak English? In most top-tier hospitals, doctors are fluent in English.
• What is the cost comparison? Medical treatments in India can cost 60-90% less than in Western countries.
• What about aftercare? Comprehensive aftercare and rehabilitation services are available.

Global Provider Members

Hindi and English

Indian Rupee

1,370,825,550

India is typically very hot, with the hottest and driest months lying between March and June. The average temperature during this time is usually 90 degrees Fahrenheit. However, in the western part of India, the average temperature can be much higher. The coolest months are between December and February, with the average daily temperature fluctuating between 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit (10-15 degrees Celsius). The rainy (monsoon) season lasts from March until June. Because the boundaries of India span a large land area, it does not fit into only one climate zone.

Facilitators

New Delhi, India

Haryana, India

Karnataka, India

Mumbai, India

Maharashtra, India

Delhi, India

Uttar Pradesh, India

Telengana, India

Tamilnadu, India

Punjab, India

Maharastra, India

Kerala, India

Gujarat, India

Tamil Nadu, India

Dehli, India

Featured Treatments

MedicalTourism.com

MedicalTourism.com is a free, confidential, independent resource for patients and industry providers. Our mission is to provide a central portal where patients, medical tourism providers, hospitals, clinics, employers, and insurance companies can all find the information they need. Our site focuses on patients looking for specific knowledge in the fields of medical tourism, dental tourism, and health tourism.

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Healthcare Beyond Borders: The Rise of Medical Tourism in India

India’s emergence as a premier medical hub: reviving medical tourism post-covid.

The global healthcare landscape has witnessed a remarkable shift in recent years, with India gaining recognition for providing high-quality medical services at significantly lower costs to patients travelling worldwide. However, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent travel bans severely impacted the influx of medical tourists into the country.

The Tourism Ministry reported a staggering negative growth rate of 79.4% in 2020. Despite this setback, the situation is gradually improving as efforts to combat the pandemic yield positive results. Market insights suggest a robust 19% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the demand for medical tourism in India by 2022.

What makes India an increasingly popular destination for medical treatment?

The country’s healthcare industry offers a unique blend of modern and traditional medicine, setting it apart from competitors. Firstly, India boasts world-class doctors and hospitals that provide treatments at a fraction of the cost compared to other nations. Secondly, India’s ancient systems of medicine, known as AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Panchakarma, Rejuvenation Therapy, etc.), are gaining immense popularity globally.

To further enhance the credibility of AYUSH products and promote India’s medical tourism sector, Prime Minister Modi recently announced plans to launch an AYUSH Mark. India’s medical services and facilities also adhere to standards set by reputable organizations such as WHO, the World Health Organization, and the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).

Significant investments are required to enhance the healthcare industry’s infrastructure and equipment, making them more appealing to international patients. Proper infrastructure and standardization in the tourism industry, mainly guest house services, are crucial to ensure patients’ safety and minimize the risk of infections. Additionally, there is a vast opportunity to offer Indian health insurance to foreign patients, which has the potential to generate an additional $9 billion in patient inflow to India.

The government is leaving no stone unturned to maximize the potential of the medical tourism industry. The objective is to make India the number one destination for medical tourism, tripling its revenue to $13 billion within four years. To support this vision, the government has proposed an outlay of US$ 28.7 billion for health and well-being, a substantial increase of 137% compared to the previous year’s budget allocation.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken several measures to facilitate medical tourism:

• Special Medical Visas for healthcare purposes have been made available in 165 countries.
•  Establishing a feedback mechanism aims to gather testimonials from medical tourists visiting India, providing credible information and convenience.

The ‘Heal in India’ initiative seeks to position the country as a global medical and wellness tourism destination. This initiative will enable foreigners and those seeking medical assistance to access a comprehensive list of hospitals offering their desired treatments through a user-friendly online portal. It will be a one-stop shop, covering treatment package costs, visa applications, grievance redressals, and feedback. Additionally, the initiative aims to create a database of healthcare professionals which includes dedicated doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, allowing them to specify their interest in providing services abroad, thus facilitating India’s diversification of operations.

The Ministry of Tourism has also taken serious steps to promote medical tourism

The Marketing Development Assistance Scheme (MDA) provides financial support to approved tourism service providers, enhancing tourist facilities.

Publicity materials, including brochures and CDs, have been extensively used to promote medical and health tourism under the Ministry of Tourism’s “Incredible India Campaign.” The campaign has successfully showcased the benefits of yoga, Ayurveda, and wellness practices across print, electronic, internet, and outdoor media.

As the world emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for healthcare services is expected to surge, presenting India with a tremendous opportunity to attract medical tourists from Europe, the Americas, and beyond.

With the government’s unwavering commitment to making India the hub of medical tourism and the rising demand, the country is poised to become the ultimate destination for all medical tourists. India’s leadership in saving millions of lives will drive job creation and generate over $13 billion in foreign exchange, firmly establishing its position as a global healthcare leader.

How UniMediks can help you?

UniMediks are pivotal in facilitating affordable treatment for foreign nationals in India. Here’s how UniMediks can help:

Extensive Network of Medical Providers: UniMediks has partnered with renowned hospitals, clinics, and healthcare professionals across India. This vast network allows us to connect foreign nationals with the best medical providers offering affordable treatment options without compromising quality.

Customized Treatment Packages: UniMediks understands that each patient has unique healthcare needs. We work closely with medical providers to create customized treatment packages that align with patients’ requirements and budgets. These packages often include comprehensive medical services, accommodation, transportation, and other necessary arrangements, ensuring a hassle-free experience.

Cost Transparency and Negotiation: UniMediks believes in transparency regarding healthcare costs. We provide detailed cost breakdowns of treatment procedures, consultations, medications, and additional services. Our team negotiates with medical providers to secure competitive pricing, helping foreign nationals access affordable treatment options.

Assistance with Visa and Travel Arrangements: Traveling to an international country for medical treatment can be daunting. UniMediks offers guidance and support throughout the visa application process, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free journey for patients. We also assist with travel arrangements, including flight bookings, airport transfers, and accommodation, making the entire experience convenient and stress-free.

Language and Cultural Support: Overcoming language and cultural barriers is essential for foreign nationals seeking treatment in India. UniMediks provides language interpretation services to ensure effective communication between patients and healthcare providers. We also offer cultural guidance, helping patients navigate the cultural nuances and adapt to the local environment.

Post-Treatment Follow-up: UniMediks recognizes the importance of post-treatment care and follow-up. We facilitate regular communication between patients and medical providers, ensuring that patients receive the necessary support and guidance even after returning to their home countries.

Quality Assurance: UniMediks works only with accredited and reputable healthcare providers in India. We carefully evaluate the quality of services and infrastructure our partner hospitals and clinics offer. This commitment to quality ensures that foreign nationals receive safe and effective treatment from trusted medical professionals.

By leveraging our expertise and network, UniMediks strives to make affordable treatment in India accessible to foreign nationals. Our comprehensive support throughout the medical journey, combined with competitive pricing and quality assurance, enables patients to receive the care they need at affordable costs.

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Medical Tourism in India: Top destinations, scenarios and all you need to know

India in recent years has emerged as a major hub for medical tourism and is now considered among the top 6 medical value travel destinations in the world. here is all you need to know about it..

Medical Tourism , or Medical Value Travel, refers to the industry where international patients travel across the border for medical, cosmetic, or wellness treatments. India in recent years has emerged as a major hub for medical tourism and is now considered among the top 6 medical value travel destinations in the world. Its rapidly growing medical tourism industry has put Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kochi on the globe for millions of people across Asia and Africa, who turn to these cities for all their surgical needs. Our unrivalled knowledge , top-notch doctors, extensive experience, and premier hospitals enable us to dominate the Indian medical tourism market. The patient can receive affordable treatment packages in India. (Also read: Kerala Tourism focuses on ‘responsible tourism’ to increase the livelihood of locals )

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Danish Ahmed, Founder, Healthtrip.com, shared important insights regarding medical tourism in India.

Medical tourism scenario in India:

Medical Tourism in India, in mid-2020, was estimated to be worth around USD 9 billion which makes India stand at Number 10 in the Global Medical Tourism Index. Approximately 2 million patients visit India each year from 78 countries for medical, wellness and IVF treatments, generating $6 billion for the industry which is expected to reach $13 billion by 2026 backed by the government’s Heal in India initiative. This not only generates jobs, profits and forex for hospitals but also creates very valuable soft power for India, positioning it as the Healing Center of the world. It also creates demand for high-end equipment, which results in continuous upgradation of Indian healthcare, resulting in a spiral of demand generating quality, generating more demand.

Why do they choose India:

India’s key advantage is the price at which it can deliver the world-class quality of healthcare, along with complementing treatments in Ayurveda, which gives it the unique positioning of Holistic Healthcare. Aptly called, Heal in India, the expected initiatives from the government will ease visa and forex norms for these patients, unlocking the tremendous potential of medical tourism in the country. India is known to be the land of natural medicines to the world. India and Ayurveda have a history that longs back in time.

Where are most medical tourists from:

Most of the tourists are from Asian or African countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, Indonesia and Kenya, among others.

Top 5 medical tourism destinations in India:

Chennai: One of the most well-liked locations in India for receiving medical care. According to research by the Confederation of Indian Industries, almost 40% of patients choose Chennai because of the city's high standard of care. Chennai, the "health capital of India," sees foreign patients annually for hip replacements, eye surgeries, cardiac bypasses, bone marrow transplants, and alternative medical procedures.

Mumbai: It is the city with India's fastest expanding medical tourism industry, and is home to a number of super speciality hospitals as well as a Research and Diagnostic Center for orthopaedic and weight reduction procedures. Mumbai is also well-known for its Ayurvedic therapies and cosmetic surgery.

New Delhi: Numerous outstanding private hospitals, including ones that offer packages for general surgery, eye surgery, heart care, and neurosurgery to foreign patients, can be found in the nation's capital.

Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad is another Indian city that is gradually rising to prominence as a centre for medical tourism. Many non-residents prefer seeking treatment in Ahmedabad because of its hospitals with top-notch amenities.

Bangalore: Due to the vast quantity of top-notch medical facilities and specialists among its medical professionals. These are Bangalore medical tourism's main attractions. There are also doctors in Bangalore who have had advanced training in the west with almost little wait time and quick access to medical care for visitors seeking treatment.

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• Rise of Medical Tourism in India

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Over the past decade, India has gained a reputation in providing high quality medical service at low costs to medical tourists travelling from across the globe. However, with the travel bans during the covid-19 pandemic, the influx of medical tourists had dipped. According to the Tourism Ministry , India registered a negative growth of 79.4% over 2020. Although, the situation looks positive once more owing to the efforts made to handle the pandemic situation. Market insights suggest the demand forecast to increase at a robust 19 % CAGR in 2022.

Why is India emerging as the popular medical hub for patients? India’s healthcare industry offers a combination of both modern and traditional forms of medicine which sets the country apart from others. First, it has a set of world-class doctors and hospitals that provide treatment at fractional rates when compared to other countries. Secondly, India’s systems of medicine: AYUSH i.e. Ayurveda, Yoga, Panchakarma, Rejuvenation Therapy, etc, which are the most ancient forms of medicine, are now gaining immense popularity globally. PM Modi also recently announced plans to launch an AYUSH Mark. A mark to provide credibility to AYUSH products in India and promote India’s medical tourism sector. Additionally, the other medical services and facilities are also backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).

To become the No.1 medical travel destination, there is a need for significant investments into making the healthcare industry and equipment attractive for international patients. Patients spend most of their time in guest houses and are prone to further infections from such places. Thus, proper infrastructure and standardisation needs to be brought into the tourism industry and nexus of guest house service providers urgently. Another aspect that needs to be tapped into is the opportunity for selling Indian health insurance to foreigners. This has the capability to generate an additional $9 billion in patient inflow to India.

To maximise the industry’s potential, the government is pulling out all its aces. The aim is to make India the No.1 Destination for Medical Tourism in the world, tripling its revenue to $13 billion within 4 years. The government has also proposed an outlay of US$ 28.7 billion for health and well-being, which is 137% higher than the previous year's budget outlay.

The following measures have been taken up by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare :

• Special provision of Medical Visa has been made for tourists travelling to India for healthcare purposes. This has been made available in 165 countries.
• Setting up a feedback mechanism to obtain testimonials from tourists travelling to the country for medical purposes. This ‘one-step’ portal would add to the convenience and provide credible information for medical tourists coming to India.
• The 'Heal in India' initiative aims to position the country as a global hub for medical and wellness tourism. Under this initiative, foreigners or those seeking medical help will be able to locate the list of hospitals in the country available to provide their choice of medical treatments through an ‘one step’ online portal. It is a one stop shop for all services from the treatment package cost, visa applications to grievance redressals and feedback. The initiative also aims at providing a database of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists and will also include a section where professionals can specify the country in which they are most interested in providing their services. This will allow India to diversify its operations by sending doctors abroad to treat patients.

The following measures have been taken up by the Ministry of Tourism :

• The Marketing Development Assistance Scheme (MDA) offers financial assistance to approved tourism service providers to promote an intricate nexus of facilities for the tourists to stay.
• Publicity materials, such as brochures and CDs, intended to promote medical and health tourism have been circulated in target markets. Yoga/Ayurveda/Wellness has been promoted over the last two years in print, electronic, internet, and outdoor media under the Ministry of Tourism's "Incredible India Campaign''.

To conclude, in the post-Covid world, the demand for the healthcare industry is bound to surge and there is a huge potential for India to realise and aggressively advance towards attracting medical tourists from other parts of the world including Europe and the Americas. With the government making it their priority to make India the hub of medical tourism, the initiatives combined with the surging demand are sure to make India the centre for all medical tourists in the future. Not only will India be the leader in saving millions of lives, but will also simultaneously generate valuable jobs and over $13 billion in forex.

This blog has been co-authored by  Priyanka Cardoz and Sanjana Saigal.

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Update on improving Medical Tourism in the country India ranks 10th in Medical Tourism Index (MTI) for 2020-2021 out of 46 destinations of the world Foreign Tourists Arrival on medical purpose increases from 1.83 lakh in 2020 to 3.04 lakh in 2021

India has been ranked 10 th in Medical Tourism Index (MTI) for 2020-2021 out of 46 destinations of the world by Medical Tourism Association. As per information provided by Ministry of Tourism, foreign tourist arriving in India for medical purpose are as below:

With an aim to improve medical tourism in country, Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism in 2022. The strategy has identified following key pillars for the development of medical value travel in the country:

• Develop a brand for India as a wellness destination
• Strengthen the ecosystem for medical and wellness tourism
• Enable digitalization by setting up Online Medical Value Travel (MVT) Portal
• Enhancement of accessibility for Medical Value Travel
• Promoting Wellness Tourism
• Governance and Institutional Framework

Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is coordinating with other Ministries viz Ministry of Home Affairs, Tourism, AYUSH, External Affairs, Civil Aviation, State Governments and other stakeholders to promote Medical Value Travel (MVT) in the country. An institutional approach in coordination with other Ministries like Ministry of Tourism, AYUSH, Home Affairs, External Affairs, Civil Aviation, State Governments and other relevant stakeholders is adopted for promotion of medical value travel. Several rounds of stakeholder consultations have been conducted with line Ministries, Hospitals, MVT facilitators, Insurance Companies and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) to identify the challenges and opportunities in the sector.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

HFW/ Update on improving medical tourism in the country /2h1 March 2023/4

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Framework for Promotion of Medical Tourism: A Case of India

• Published: 28 June 2021
• Volume 16 , pages 103–111, ( 2021 )

Cite this article

• Vinaytosh Mishra   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6360-910X 1 &
• Mohita G. Sharma   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3341-9663 1  

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Medical tourism is quickly growing in developing countries. The healthcare players have recognized it as a potential area for economic diversification. The major factors affecting medical tourism in a country are cost, quality, language, and ease of travel. The healthcare services in India cost significantly lower than in western countries and the middle east. That is one of the reasons behind India attracting customers from these countries. The government promotes India as a premier healthcare destination and has made policies to ease travel for medical tourism purposes. Quality has been one of the important criteria for the selection of healthcare providers even for price-conscious customers. This study uses the case of the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh to investigate the reason behind the low penetration of medical tourism in the region. The study identifies factors affecting medical tourism in post-COVID times and maps them with enablers using a focus group discussion. The study further uses SERVQUAL, a multidimensional research instrument to measure service quality by capturing patient’s expectations and perceptions along five dimensions of service quality. The study contributes to the existing literature in two ways. It provides the framework for the promotion of medical tourism in a region. Second, it provides future directions for research in the area of medical tourism in the post-COVID world.

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Introduction

Medical tourism (MT) has been growing enormously in the past few decades. This has been especially favorable for many developing countries especially in Asia wherein there is travel between upper-income countries and lower- and middle-income countries for healthcare purposes (Behrmann & Smith, 2010 ). The drivers for this travel have been prohibitively expensive, inadequate, or unavailable in their high-income home countries and the services could include cosmetic, wellness, and dental treatments, and has been collectively called medical tourism (Connell, 2006 ; Turner, 2011 ). Especially governments and private-sector actors in Asia, Europe, and Latin America have begun to actively promote their countries, cities, and medical facilities as medical tourism destinations to boost and diversify their tourism and healthcare offerings (Wong & Musa, 2012 ). Various governments have also promoted their country as a medical tourism destination through policy interventions. In a recent study, the economic performance of medical tourism is analyzed vis-a-vis overall community satisfaction, health care satisfaction, and attitudes toward medical tourism through a combination of social exchange theory with spillover theory. This is shown in a study where for a particular region the residents’ perceptions of medical tourism’s impact on community wellbeing also affect willingness to pay higher taxes and support for medical tourism development (Suess et al., 2018 ).

If we focus on India, the main driver of the growth of medical tourism has been the highly trained medical fraternity who is adept in English (Crooks et al., 2011 ). India has over the years become the hub of medical tourism which is the confluence of the twin sectors of the tourism industry and health industry (Shanker, 2019 ). This falls under the category of service exports and has been instrumental in earning foreign exchange and huge employment opportunities for the country. Given the fact that the main objective of medical tourists is getting good quality medical treatment at a reasonable cost, the outward focus has to be on competitiveness and the inward focus has to be operational excellence to drive the cost down. In a previous study, Thailand, Singapore and India have been identified as the main players in medical tourism capturing 80% of Asia’s medical tourism market (Mary, 2014 ). A comprehensive definition of medical tourism competitiveness has been given by Ganguli and Ebrahim, ( 2017 ) which can be stated as: “the ability to strategically plan, set viable policy goals, establish effective multi-stakeholder partnerships, maintain an attractive environment; and ensure that all of these capabilities are harmonized to optimize the delivery of medical services that rank high on parameters of quality, innovativeness, affordability, and safety”.

The further reasons which make India an attractive medical tourism destination are ensuing (Bagga et al., 2020 ; Bies & Zacharia, 2007 ; de Arellano, 2007 ).

Demand: Emanating from the long waiting lists in the developed countries has resulted in patients moving to other healthcare destinations.

Affordability and cost: The low cost of medical treatments in India makes it an enticing healthcare destination. In India, costs for complicated surgical procedures are almost one-tenth of the cost as compared to the procedures in the developed countries.

Accessibility: Affordable and access to air routes from every part of the globe make India one of the favored medical tourism destinations. The country has a further favorable exchange rate which makes it an economically viable alternative. The government has even eased the visa rules for tourists visiting the country for medical tourism purposes.

Communication: Indian healthcare workforce is good at English communication. The advancement in telemedicine helps patients in getting follow-up care, rehabilitative care after major surgery. This even eliminates the need for a follow-up visit to the country.

India attracts patients in areas namely wellness tourism, alternative systems of medicine, cosmetic surgery, and advanced and lifesaving healthcare. Thus, the Medical Tourism structure can be broadly classified into the following four categories (Fig.  1 ).

Medical tourism structure in India

Medical tourism is not a simple process. It is a complex decision by an international traveler based on the attributes of the host country, facilities of healthcare professionals, reasonable cost, and the service quality of hospitality and tourism (Chuang et al., 2014 ; Fetscherin & Stephano, 2016 ; Olya & Nia, 2021 ). Some studies are exploring the development of the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) and four dimensions of MTI include country environment, tourism destination, medical tourism costs, and medical facility and services (Fetscherin & Stephano, 2016 ). In a detailed literature review and co-word citation analysis, Hoz-Correa et al. ( 2018 ) suggests that six themes dominate the research: (a) issues regarding ethical implications, trust, and accreditation; (b) health, wellness, spa tourism, and service quality; (c) health-related issues, medical treatments, and tourism; (d) “sensitive” practices in MT; (e) medical tourism destinations and marketing; and (f) globalization, policies and the effect on international patients.

Further, Ebrahim and Ganguli ( 2019 ) and Belladi et al. ( 2019 ) have done a strategic cross-country comparison and have elucidated that the extent of coordination among public and private MT stakeholders and a collaborative; administration efficiency of sectors such as medical, tourism, and economic sectors along with the development of medicine and related human capital contribute to enhancing the growth of the sector. In another cross-country study, exploring the hospital’s website across five dimensions: hospital information and facilities, admission and medical services, interactive online services, external activities, and technical items, it was observed that there were differences between Indian, Malaysian, and Thai hospital websites and suggesting that there was a need for hospital managers to improve their hospitals’ online presence and interactivity (Moghavvemi et al., 2017 ).

Cham et al. ( 2021 ) in their study of Chinese medical tourists to Malaysia have analyzed country-specific factors (country knowledge, safety and security, accessibility, and price reasonableness) and social factors (word-of-mouth and social media) to be significant predictors of the image of Malaysia as a medical tourism destination, which in turn, affect the perceived value and intention to revisit. Another study provides an extended diamond-based pyramid framework of regional competitiveness and can be adopted for the medical tourism sector in a country (Moirangthem & Nag, 2020 ). Ghosh and Mandal ( 2019 ) have cited in a study on India that treatment quality, medical service quality, medical tourism expenses, medical tourism infrastructure, destination appeal, destination culture, and ease of access increase the satisfaction and loyalty of medical tourists. Taking a stream from Hoz-Correa et al. ( 2018 ) of service quality, this study extends this inquiry into understanding the service quality dimensions for medical tourism, especially for India. The study highlights the importance of service quality in achieving operational excellence. The image of India is discolored due to the below-par performance of the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic and may impact the export competitiveness of medical tourism. It is imperative to assess the quality gap and take corrective measures to remain competitive.

The next section lists the objectives of this research followed by the methodology used in this study. Subsequent sections discuss the result and hence the conclusion for the study. In last but not least, the study lists the limitations of the research and the future agenda for the research.

Research Objectives

The objective of this research is threefold: (1) to use the extant literature to identify the factors affecting medical tourism, (2) to provide the framework for the development of medical tourism in a region using focus group discussion, and (3) to use the case of eastern Uttar Pradesh to analyze the service quality gap using established instrument SERVQUAL.

Methodology

The research reviews the extant literature to identify the factors affecting medical tourism in a region. The findings of the reviewed literature are listed in the introduction section of this paper. The first step included using the finding of the literature review and input from the focus group to propose a framework for the development of medical tourism in a region. The study in the second stage uses the SERVQUAL method to evaluate the case region on five dimensions of the service quality.

Services being distinguished by intangibility and consumed simultaneously, the quality of service is understood as the perception of value delivered (Lam et al., 2012 ). Nitecki and Hernon ( 2000 ) defined service quality in terms of “meeting or exceeding customer expectations, or as the difference between customer perception and expectations of service” (Wang & Shieh, 2006 ). SERVQUAL is a multidimensional research instrument designed to measure service quality by capturing respondents’ expectations and perceptions (Parasuraman et al., 2002 ). The instrument has been widely used to assess the quality of services in the industry such as retail, hospitality, and healthcare (Ajam et al., 2014 ; Saleh & Ryan, 1991 ; Zhao et al., 2002 ). Thus for quantitatively assessing it, it is taken as the difference between the customer’s perception of the service and his expectations in his mind. Perception is the comparison between expectations and actual performance. A positive indication of quality is when the performance is higher than expectations and vice versa.

Healthcare is a high involvement service with long-term engagement between the patient and service provider and SERVQUAL has been used to prioritize the dimensions and identify the gaps to be filled to enhance the competitiveness of the delivery process (Al-Neyadi et al., 2018 ; Traipathi & Siddiqui, 2018 ). The SERVQUAL model has five dimensions of service quality namely reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy, and responsiveness (Fig.  2 ).

SERVQUAL model for service quality

The description of the five dimensions of service quality is listed in Table 1 (Butt et al., 2010 ; Parasuraman et al., 1988 ).

The researchers have used the established and time-tested SERVQUAL for assessing the service quality in the case of medical tourism (Chou et al., 2012 ; Guiry & Vequist, 2011 ; Qolipour et al., 2018 ).

The focus group used for objective one of the study is the healthcare professionals working in India. The size of the focus group is eight including the researchers as coordinators and passive members. A focus group larger than eight is difficult to manage (Fern, 1982 ). The focus group constituted four healthcare professionals, three doctors, and one healthcare researcher. Focus group discussion is frequently used as a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the problem at hand (Nyumba et al. 2018 ). This method uses data from a purposely selected group of individuals rather than from a statistically representative sample of a broader population. Even though the application of this method in management research has been extensive, there are no critical assessments of the application of the technique. In addition, there are no readily available guidelines for researchers. This study uses the Delphi method to gain consensus on the framework. The Delphi method is well suited as a research instrument when there is incomplete knowledge about a problem or phenomenon (Skulmoski, 2007 ). The approach adopted for the Delhi Method is depicted in Fig.  3 (Cooper, 2019 ).

Delphi approach for focus group

The sample size for this exploratory study was taken as 31 and the sampling method was used as purposive sampling. The extant literature suggests that with purposive sampling a sample size of 30 for the exploratory study is adequate (Kowalska & Ostręga, 2020 ). The questionnaire was sent to 50 prospects out of which 31 responded, making the response rate 62%. The characteristics of the respondent are listed in Table 2 .

To summarize, the study first identifies the factors and enablers for medical tourism in the region then uses the focus group’s input to map it. The study then uses SERVQUAL for finding the quality gap. The summary of the research methodology used in the study is depicted in Fig. 4 .

Schematic diagram for the study

Results and Discussion

Based on the research, the study identifies four major factors affecting the penetration of medical tourism in the region. The focus group discussion helped us in identifying cost, quality, language, and ease of travel as the four most important factors affecting the penetration of medical tourism in a region. The study further interviewed the focus group members to identify enablers for these identified factors. Based on the input of the focus group, the study proposes a framework for increasing the penetration of medical tourism in the case region. The secondary research and focus group discussion suggested lean management, use of quality management systems, having National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and External Quality Assurance Systems (EQAS), language and soft skills, and ease of travel and visa rules as some of the important enablers for achieving the four factors. Figure 5 summarizes the framework using enablers and factors to increase the medical tourism in the region.

Framework for increasing medical tourism

It can be seen that ease of Travel and Language are environmental factors and external to the control of business whereas Cost and Quality are within the control of the business. Cost and Quality are interlinked and emphasis on quality can reduce the cost of operations thereby achieving operational excellence. Further, as the extant literature and focus group, discussion suggested quality is one of the most important criteria for the selection of a healthcare destination. The study adopted the SERVQUAL model which is a recognized tool to understand the difference between expectations and the perception of the service quality on five dimensions’ reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. The respondents were asked to give responses to 22 questions on a Likert scale of ten and the average of the score on the subdimensions was taken as a score for a dimension. Thus, the maximum possible score for any dimension is ten. The perception score ( P ) and expectation score ( E ) for the service quality is listed in Table 3 . The difference of P and E gives the gap between expectation and perception, the difference needs to be minimized to increase customer satisfaction (Gounaris et al., 2007 ).

Figure 6 depicts the perception, expectation of maximum value on five dimensions of the service quality. As the figure suggests the largest service gap is for reliability, followed by responsiveness and assurance. The minimum service gap is for the service dimension tangible but there is still a scope of improvement when we compare it with the maximum score possible.

Perception and expectation of service quality

The study also shows that maximum expectation is for dimension reliability, assurance followed by responsiveness and empathy. The gap between expectations and performance is large for Reliability and Assurance Dimensions. The reliability of the service can be enhanced by making the service more process-driven and adhering to management systems. The lesser the non-conformity is, the better the reliability. On the other hand, for ‘assurance’ the focus has to be on providing soft skill training to the personnel and attitude of service in the nurses and paramedical staff. It also depends on the work culture of the organization. The responsiveness of the service is ‘how quickly the problem gets resolved. For addressing this parameter, the capacity of the supporting staff has to be enhanced so that the time of response gets reduced. It is observed that the tangibles and empathy gap is less which is a good sign. The customers are satisfied with the infrastructure and feel that they are understood. Given the fact that the empathy gap is less and the assurance gap is high, an attempt to enhance communication can reduce the assurance gap also.

The increased cost of care in western countries and the middle east has forced patients to look towards the east. Medical tourism is quickly growing in developing countries like India. Recent process innovation and operational excellence in India make it possible to deliver healthcare at a fraction of the cost compared to the western countries. The average cost of open-heart surgery, as reported by Narayana Health, is less than $2000. The same procedure at a US research hospital typically costs more than $100,000. The factors making a destination a preferred medical tourism destination is cost, quality, language, and ease of travel. The extant literature suggests that quality is one of the most important criteria for the selection of a healthcare provider (Mishra et al., 2019 ). A website listing the healthcare tourism destination in India lists only a few healthcare providers from eastern Uttar Pradesh. With the availability of vaccines and mass vaccination in many countries, borders have started opening again. The governments should think about measured to promote medical tourism in post-COVID times. This compelled us to investigate the reason behind the low penetration of medical tourism in the region and what can be done.

Studies have used the SERVQUAL method for quality assessment of private healthcare providers (Butt et al., 2010 ; Pekkaya, 2019 ). There is evidence of recent use of the SERVQUAL method for quality assessment in healthcare in developing countries (AlOmari, 2020 ; Tripathi & Siddiqui, 2018 ). Qolipour et al. ( 2018 ) analyze the patient’s perspective on the quality of medical tourism in Iran. Although there are studies on the evaluation of service quality of medical tourism destinations, there is a lack of studies done on quality assessment of medical tourism as eastern India as the destination, and this study attempts to fill this gap. This study uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches for the development of a framework for promoting medical tourism in the region. The study further uses the SERVQUAL model to find out the patient’s perception and expectation of healthcare services on five dimensions of service quality and identifies the area of improvement. The approach used in the study is simple and easy to follow and does not overwhelm a reader with excessive details. The study uses Radar Chart to visualize the quality gap related to five dimensions. The study will help healthcare providers and policymakers devise strategies for promoting medical tourism in a region. The finding of the study is also useful for healthcare administration to improve service quality in their organization to eventually attract patients from Gulf and Western Countries.

Limitations and Future Directions

The limitations of the study emanate from the model that has been adopted. Despite its strengths and widespread acceptance, SERVQUAL is sometimes disapproved of for its bounded lens and these criticisms are true for this study as well. The focus of the model is from an operations perspective, and so it fails to draw on established economic, statistical and psychological theory. The prime focus remains on service operations and delivery rather than the outcome. Some studies also reflect that the five dimensions of service quality used in the SERVQUAL are not universal (Buttle, 1996 ).

This study is exploratory and uses purposive sampling. A study having a larger sample size and probabilistic sampling will help generalize the finding to a larger population. The study can include samples from countries other than Mauritius, UAE and the US will make the study more inclusive. The majority of the respondents represent prospects from the age group 45–55. This may be one of the limitations of the study. A future study can empirically test the framework proposed in the study for the promotion of medical tourism in a region. Future studies can also include more service dimensions related to healthcare.

Key questions reflecting applicability in real life

What are factors affecting the penetration of medical tourism in a geographical region?

What are the enablers for these factors to attract medical tourists to the region?

What are the healthcare quality dimensions used in existing literature for medical tourism?

How to use the SERVQUAL method to identify and fill the service quality gaps?

Availability of Data and Material

Available on request.

Code Availability

Not applicable.

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Mishra, V., Sharma, M.G. Framework for Promotion of Medical Tourism: A Case of India. JGBC 16 (Suppl 1), 103–111 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42943-021-00027-7

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Table of Contents

India’s medical tourism industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, with nearly 2 million patients visiting from neighbouring countries each year and generating $13 billion in forex annually.

However, to become the top medical travel destination, improvements are needed in the ecosystem surrounding patient experience and accommodation. Investment in medical travel facilitators and standardised guesthouses is crucial, as is pursuing the opportunity for selling Indian health insurance to foreigners, potentially generating an additional $9 billion. 

Cross-border telemedicine also presents a large opportunity, given India’s skilled workforce and cost advantage.

In this blog, we will explore the benefits and risks of medical tourism in India, as well as provide tips for those considering travelling to India for medical treatment.

Medical tourism is a growing industry, and India is one of the most popular destinations for medical tourism. India has a well-established healthcare system, and many hospitals in India are accredited by international organisations such as Joint Commission International (JCI) and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). 

Additionally, India offers world-class medical treatment at a fraction of the cost of Western countries.

How is India becoming a popular medical hub for patients?

India is rapidly becoming a popular medical hub for patients due to a variety of factors.

• Firstly, the country has a world-class healthcare industry that offers top-quality treatment at a fraction of the cost compared to other countries. This is due to the availability of highly skilled doctors and modern hospitals.
• Secondly, India’s traditional systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda, Yoga, and Panchakarma, which are some of the oldest forms of medicine in the world, are gaining immense popularity globally.

The combination of modern and traditional medicine makes India a unique destination for medical tourism, with patients seeking a holistic approach to healthcare.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has implemented various measures to promote medical tourism in India. These include:

Special provision of Medical Visa available in 165 countries, a feedback mechanism to obtain testimonials from medical tourists, and the ‘Heal in India’ initiative which aims to position the country as a global hub for medical and wellness tourism.

The initiative includes an online portal for foreigners seeking medical treatments, which provides a one-stop-shop for all services from treatment package costs to grievance redressals and feedback.

The initiative also aims to diversify its operations by sending Indian doctors abroad to treat patients.

Benefits of Medical Tourism in India:

• Cost-effective treatment : The cost of medical treatment in India is significantly lower than in Western countries. Patients can save up to 80% of the cost of medical treatment in India compared to the USA.
• Quality healthcare : Indian hospitals offer world-class healthcare facilities and services. Many hospitals in India have internationally trained doctors and nurses, and are equipped with the latest medical equipment and technology.
• No waiting time : In many Western countries, patients have to wait months or even years for medical treatment. However, in India, patients can receive medical treatment immediately, without having to wait.
• Travel and tourism opportunities : Patients can combine their medical treatment with travel and tourism. India is a popular tourist destination, with a rich cultural heritage and diverse cuisine.

Risks of Medical Tourism in India:

• Language barriers : Patients who do not speak the local language may face communication difficulties with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
• Infection control : Infection control standards in some Indian hospitals may not be up to the same standards as those in Western countries.
• Cultural differences : Patients may experience cultural differences in medical treatment and patient care.
• Travel risks : Patients may face travel risks, such as jet lag, long flights, and exposure to different climates and diseases.

Tips for Medical Tourism in India:

• Choose a reputable hospital : Do your research and choose a hospital that is accredited by international organisations such as JCI and NABH.
• Consult with your doctor : Consult with your doctor before travelling to India for medical treatment. Your doctor can advise you on the risks and benefits of medical tourism and help you make an informed decision.
• Plan your trip : Plan your trip in advance and make sure to arrange for transportation, accommodation, and other logistics.
• Communicate effectively : Communicate effectively with healthcare professionals and make sure to ask questions if you do not understand something.
• Follow infection control guidelines : Follow infection control guidelines, such as washing your hands regularly and wearing a mask if necessary.

Conclusion:

India, despite being a developing country, offers world-class and standardised medical services and care, aided by the latest technology.

In conclusion, the demand for the healthcare industry is expected to surge in the post-Covid world, and India has a significant potential to attract medical tourists from around the globe, including Europe and the Americas. The government’s efforts to make India the hub of medical tourism, combined with the increasing demand, are likely to make India a leading destination for medical tourism in the future. This development not only saves lives but also generates valuable jobs and more than $13 billion in forex, highlighting the potential benefits of medical tourism for India’s economy and healthcare sector.

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Framework for Promotion of Medical Tourism: A Case of India

Vinaytosh mishra.

QT and OM Area, FORE School of Management, New Delhi, India

Mohita G. Sharma

Associated data.

Available on request.

Not applicable.

Medical tourism is quickly growing in developing countries. The healthcare players have recognized it as a potential area for economic diversification. The major factors affecting medical tourism in a country are cost, quality, language, and ease of travel. The healthcare services in India cost significantly lower than in western countries and the middle east. That is one of the reasons behind India attracting customers from these countries. The government promotes India as a premier healthcare destination and has made policies to ease travel for medical tourism purposes. Quality has been one of the important criteria for the selection of healthcare providers even for price-conscious customers. This study uses the case of the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh to investigate the reason behind the low penetration of medical tourism in the region. The study identifies factors affecting medical tourism in post-COVID times and maps them with enablers using a focus group discussion. The study further uses SERVQUAL, a multidimensional research instrument to measure service quality by capturing patient’s expectations and perceptions along five dimensions of service quality. The study contributes to the existing literature in two ways. It provides the framework for the promotion of medical tourism in a region. Second, it provides future directions for research in the area of medical tourism in the post-COVID world.

Introduction

Medical tourism (MT) has been growing enormously in the past few decades. This has been especially favorable for many developing countries especially in Asia wherein there is travel between upper-income countries and lower- and middle-income countries for healthcare purposes (Behrmann & Smith, 2010 ). The drivers for this travel have been prohibitively expensive, inadequate, or unavailable in their high-income home countries and the services could include cosmetic, wellness, and dental treatments, and has been collectively called medical tourism (Connell, 2006 ; Turner, 2011 ). Especially governments and private-sector actors in Asia, Europe, and Latin America have begun to actively promote their countries, cities, and medical facilities as medical tourism destinations to boost and diversify their tourism and healthcare offerings (Wong & Musa, 2012 ). Various governments have also promoted their country as a medical tourism destination through policy interventions. In a recent study, the economic performance of medical tourism is analyzed vis-a-vis overall community satisfaction, health care satisfaction, and attitudes toward medical tourism through a combination of social exchange theory with spillover theory. This is shown in a study where for a particular region the residents’ perceptions of medical tourism’s impact on community wellbeing also affect willingness to pay higher taxes and support for medical tourism development (Suess et al., 2018 ).

If we focus on India, the main driver of the growth of medical tourism has been the highly trained medical fraternity who is adept in English (Crooks et al., 2011 ). India has over the years become the hub of medical tourism which is the confluence of the twin sectors of the tourism industry and health industry (Shanker, 2019 ). This falls under the category of service exports and has been instrumental in earning foreign exchange and huge employment opportunities for the country. Given the fact that the main objective of medical tourists is getting good quality medical treatment at a reasonable cost, the outward focus has to be on competitiveness and the inward focus has to be operational excellence to drive the cost down. In a previous study, Thailand, Singapore and India have been identified as the main players in medical tourism capturing 80% of Asia’s medical tourism market (Mary, 2014 ). A comprehensive definition of medical tourism competitiveness has been given by Ganguli and Ebrahim, ( 2017 ) which can be stated as: “the ability to strategically plan, set viable policy goals, establish effective multi-stakeholder partnerships, maintain an attractive environment; and ensure that all of these capabilities are harmonized to optimize the delivery of medical services that rank high on parameters of quality, innovativeness, affordability, and safety”.

The further reasons which make India an attractive medical tourism destination are ensuing (Bagga et al., 2020 ; Bies & Zacharia, 2007 ; de Arellano, 2007 ).

• Demand: Emanating from the long waiting lists in the developed countries has resulted in patients moving to other healthcare destinations.
• Affordability and cost: The low cost of medical treatments in India makes it an enticing healthcare destination. In India, costs for complicated surgical procedures are almost one-tenth of the cost as compared to the procedures in the developed countries.
• Accessibility: Affordable and access to air routes from every part of the globe make India one of the favored medical tourism destinations. The country has a further favorable exchange rate which makes it an economically viable alternative. The government has even eased the visa rules for tourists visiting the country for medical tourism purposes.
• Communication: Indian healthcare workforce is good at English communication. The advancement in telemedicine helps patients in getting follow-up care, rehabilitative care after major surgery. This even eliminates the need for a follow-up visit to the country.

India attracts patients in areas namely wellness tourism, alternative systems of medicine, cosmetic surgery, and advanced and lifesaving healthcare. Thus, the Medical Tourism structure can be broadly classified into the following four categories (Fig.  1 ).

Medical tourism structure in India

Medical tourism is not a simple process. It is a complex decision by an international traveler based on the attributes of the host country, facilities of healthcare professionals, reasonable cost, and the service quality of hospitality and tourism (Chuang et al., 2014 ; Fetscherin & Stephano, 2016 ; Olya & Nia, 2021 ). Some studies are exploring the development of the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) and four dimensions of MTI include country environment, tourism destination, medical tourism costs, and medical facility and services (Fetscherin & Stephano, 2016 ). In a detailed literature review and co-word citation analysis, Hoz-Correa et al. ( 2018 ) suggests that six themes dominate the research: (a) issues regarding ethical implications, trust, and accreditation; (b) health, wellness, spa tourism, and service quality; (c) health-related issues, medical treatments, and tourism; (d) “sensitive” practices in MT; (e) medical tourism destinations and marketing; and (f) globalization, policies and the effect on international patients.

Further, Ebrahim and Ganguli ( 2019 ) and Belladi et al. ( 2019 ) have done a strategic cross-country comparison and have elucidated that the extent of coordination among public and private MT stakeholders and a collaborative; administration efficiency of sectors such as medical, tourism, and economic sectors along with the development of medicine and related human capital contribute to enhancing the growth of the sector. In another cross-country study, exploring the hospital’s website across five dimensions: hospital information and facilities, admission and medical services, interactive online services, external activities, and technical items, it was observed that there were differences between Indian, Malaysian, and Thai hospital websites and suggesting that there was a need for hospital managers to improve their hospitals’ online presence and interactivity (Moghavvemi et al., 2017 ).

Cham et al. ( 2021 ) in their study of Chinese medical tourists to Malaysia have analyzed country-specific factors (country knowledge, safety and security, accessibility, and price reasonableness) and social factors (word-of-mouth and social media) to be significant predictors of the image of Malaysia as a medical tourism destination, which in turn, affect the perceived value and intention to revisit. Another study provides an extended diamond-based pyramid framework of regional competitiveness and can be adopted for the medical tourism sector in a country (Moirangthem & Nag, 2020 ). Ghosh and Mandal ( 2019 ) have cited in a study on India that treatment quality, medical service quality, medical tourism expenses, medical tourism infrastructure, destination appeal, destination culture, and ease of access increase the satisfaction and loyalty of medical tourists. Taking a stream from Hoz-Correa et al. ( 2018 ) of service quality, this study extends this inquiry into understanding the service quality dimensions for medical tourism, especially for India. The study highlights the importance of service quality in achieving operational excellence. The image of India is discolored due to the below-par performance of the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic and may impact the export competitiveness of medical tourism. It is imperative to assess the quality gap and take corrective measures to remain competitive.

The next section lists the objectives of this research followed by the methodology used in this study. Subsequent sections discuss the result and hence the conclusion for the study. In last but not least, the study lists the limitations of the research and the future agenda for the research.

Research Objectives

The objective of this research is threefold: (1) to use the extant literature to identify the factors affecting medical tourism, (2) to provide the framework for the development of medical tourism in a region using focus group discussion, and (3) to use the case of eastern Uttar Pradesh to analyze the service quality gap using established instrument SERVQUAL.

Methodology

The research reviews the extant literature to identify the factors affecting medical tourism in a region. The findings of the reviewed literature are listed in the introduction section of this paper. The first step included using the finding of the literature review and input from the focus group to propose a framework for the development of medical tourism in a region. The study in the second stage uses the SERVQUAL method to evaluate the case region on five dimensions of the service quality.

Services being distinguished by intangibility and consumed simultaneously, the quality of service is understood as the perception of value delivered (Lam et al., 2012 ). Nitecki and Hernon ( 2000 ) defined service quality in terms of “meeting or exceeding customer expectations, or as the difference between customer perception and expectations of service” (Wang & Shieh, 2006 ). SERVQUAL is a multidimensional research instrument designed to measure service quality by capturing respondents’ expectations and perceptions (Parasuraman et al., 2002 ). The instrument has been widely used to assess the quality of services in the industry such as retail, hospitality, and healthcare (Ajam et al., 2014 ; Saleh & Ryan, 1991 ; Zhao et al., 2002 ). Thus for quantitatively assessing it, it is taken as the difference between the customer’s perception of the service and his expectations in his mind. Perception is the comparison between expectations and actual performance. A positive indication of quality is when the performance is higher than expectations and vice versa.

Healthcare is a high involvement service with long-term engagement between the patient and service provider and SERVQUAL has been used to prioritize the dimensions and identify the gaps to be filled to enhance the competitiveness of the delivery process (Al-Neyadi et al., 2018 ; Traipathi & Siddiqui, 2018 ). The SERVQUAL model has five dimensions of service quality namely reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy, and responsiveness (Fig.  2 ).

SERVQUAL model for service quality

The description of the five dimensions of service quality is listed in Table ​ Table1 1 (Butt et al., 2010 ; Parasuraman et al., 1988 ).

Five dimensions of service quality

The researchers have used the established and time-tested SERVQUAL for assessing the service quality in the case of medical tourism (Chou et al., 2012 ; Guiry & Vequist, 2011 ; Qolipour et al., 2018 ).

The focus group used for objective one of the study is the healthcare professionals working in India. The size of the focus group is eight including the researchers as coordinators and passive members. A focus group larger than eight is difficult to manage (Fern, 1982 ). The focus group constituted four healthcare professionals, three doctors, and one healthcare researcher. Focus group discussion is frequently used as a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the problem at hand (Nyumba et al. 2018 ). This method uses data from a purposely selected group of individuals rather than from a statistically representative sample of a broader population. Even though the application of this method in management research has been extensive, there are no critical assessments of the application of the technique. In addition, there are no readily available guidelines for researchers. This study uses the Delphi method to gain consensus on the framework. The Delphi method is well suited as a research instrument when there is incomplete knowledge about a problem or phenomenon (Skulmoski, 2007 ). The approach adopted for the Delhi Method is depicted in Fig.  3 (Cooper, 2019 ).

Delphi approach for focus group

The sample size for this exploratory study was taken as 31 and the sampling method was used as purposive sampling. The extant literature suggests that with purposive sampling a sample size of 30 for the exploratory study is adequate (Kowalska & Ostręga, 2020 ). The questionnaire was sent to 50 prospects out of which 31 responded, making the response rate 62%. The characteristics of the respondent are listed in Table ​ Table2 2 .

Characteristics of respondents

To summarize, the study first identifies the factors and enablers for medical tourism in the region then uses the focus group’s input to map it. The study then uses SERVQUAL for finding the quality gap. The summary of the research methodology used in the study is depicted in Fig. ​ Fig.4 4 .

Schematic diagram for the study

Results and Discussion

Based on the research, the study identifies four major factors affecting the penetration of medical tourism in the region. The focus group discussion helped us in identifying cost, quality, language, and ease of travel as the four most important factors affecting the penetration of medical tourism in a region. The study further interviewed the focus group members to identify enablers for these identified factors. Based on the input of the focus group, the study proposes a framework for increasing the penetration of medical tourism in the case region. The secondary research and focus group discussion suggested lean management, use of quality management systems, having National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and External Quality Assurance Systems (EQAS), language and soft skills, and ease of travel and visa rules as some of the important enablers for achieving the four factors. Figure ​ Figure5 5 summarizes the framework using enablers and factors to increase the medical tourism in the region.

Framework for increasing medical tourism

It can be seen that ease of Travel and Language are environmental factors and external to the control of business whereas Cost and Quality are within the control of the business. Cost and Quality are interlinked and emphasis on quality can reduce the cost of operations thereby achieving operational excellence. Further, as the extant literature and focus group, discussion suggested quality is one of the most important criteria for the selection of a healthcare destination. The study adopted the SERVQUAL model which is a recognized tool to understand the difference between expectations and the perception of the service quality on five dimensions’ reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. The respondents were asked to give responses to 22 questions on a Likert scale of ten and the average of the score on the subdimensions was taken as a score for a dimension. Thus, the maximum possible score for any dimension is ten. The perception score ( P ) and expectation score ( E ) for the service quality is listed in Table ​ Table3. 3 . The difference of P and E gives the gap between expectation and perception, the difference needs to be minimized to increase customer satisfaction (Gounaris et al., 2007 ).

Summary of scores from SERVQUAL model

Figure ​ Figure6 6 depicts the perception, expectation of maximum value on five dimensions of the service quality. As the figure suggests the largest service gap is for reliability, followed by responsiveness and assurance. The minimum service gap is for the service dimension tangible but there is still a scope of improvement when we compare it with the maximum score possible.

Perception and expectation of service quality

The study also shows that maximum expectation is for dimension reliability, assurance followed by responsiveness and empathy. The gap between expectations and performance is large for Reliability and Assurance Dimensions. The reliability of the service can be enhanced by making the service more process-driven and adhering to management systems. The lesser the non-conformity is, the better the reliability. On the other hand, for ‘assurance’ the focus has to be on providing soft skill training to the personnel and attitude of service in the nurses and paramedical staff. It also depends on the work culture of the organization. The responsiveness of the service is ‘how quickly the problem gets resolved. For addressing this parameter, the capacity of the supporting staff has to be enhanced so that the time of response gets reduced. It is observed that the tangibles and empathy gap is less which is a good sign. The customers are satisfied with the infrastructure and feel that they are understood. Given the fact that the empathy gap is less and the assurance gap is high, an attempt to enhance communication can reduce the assurance gap also.

The increased cost of care in western countries and the middle east has forced patients to look towards the east. Medical tourism is quickly growing in developing countries like India. Recent process innovation and operational excellence in India make it possible to deliver healthcare at a fraction of the cost compared to the western countries. The average cost of open-heart surgery, as reported by Narayana Health, is less than $2000. The same procedure at a US research hospital typically costs more than $100,000. The factors making a destination a preferred medical tourism destination is cost, quality, language, and ease of travel. The extant literature suggests that quality is one of the most important criteria for the selection of a healthcare provider (Mishra et al., 2019 ). A website listing the healthcare tourism destination in India lists only a few healthcare providers from eastern Uttar Pradesh. With the availability of vaccines and mass vaccination in many countries, borders have started opening again. The governments should think about measured to promote medical tourism in post-COVID times. This compelled us to investigate the reason behind the low penetration of medical tourism in the region and what can be done.

Studies have used the SERVQUAL method for quality assessment of private healthcare providers (Butt et al., 2010 ; Pekkaya, 2019 ). There is evidence of recent use of the SERVQUAL method for quality assessment in healthcare in developing countries (AlOmari, 2020 ; Tripathi & Siddiqui, 2018 ). Qolipour et al. ( 2018 ) analyze the patient’s perspective on the quality of medical tourism in Iran. Although there are studies on the evaluation of service quality of medical tourism destinations, there is a lack of studies done on quality assessment of medical tourism as eastern India as the destination, and this study attempts to fill this gap. This study uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches for the development of a framework for promoting medical tourism in the region. The study further uses the SERVQUAL model to find out the patient’s perception and expectation of healthcare services on five dimensions of service quality and identifies the area of improvement. The approach used in the study is simple and easy to follow and does not overwhelm a reader with excessive details. The study uses Radar Chart to visualize the quality gap related to five dimensions. The study will help healthcare providers and policymakers devise strategies for promoting medical tourism in a region. The finding of the study is also useful for healthcare administration to improve service quality in their organization to eventually attract patients from Gulf and Western Countries.

Limitations and Future Directions

The limitations of the study emanate from the model that has been adopted. Despite its strengths and widespread acceptance, SERVQUAL is sometimes disapproved of for its bounded lens and these criticisms are true for this study as well. The focus of the model is from an operations perspective, and so it fails to draw on established economic, statistical and psychological theory. The prime focus remains on service operations and delivery rather than the outcome. Some studies also reflect that the five dimensions of service quality used in the SERVQUAL are not universal (Buttle, 1996 ).

This study is exploratory and uses purposive sampling. A study having a larger sample size and probabilistic sampling will help generalize the finding to a larger population. The study can include samples from countries other than Mauritius, UAE and the US will make the study more inclusive. The majority of the respondents represent prospects from the age group 45–55. This may be one of the limitations of the study. A future study can empirically test the framework proposed in the study for the promotion of medical tourism in a region. Future studies can also include more service dimensions related to healthcare.

Key questions reflecting applicability in real life

• What are factors affecting the penetration of medical tourism in a geographical region?
• What are the enablers for these factors to attract medical tourists to the region?
• What are the healthcare quality dimensions used in existing literature for medical tourism?
• How to use the SERVQUAL method to identify and fill the service quality gaps?

Acknowledgements

The infrastructural support provided by the FORE School of Management, New Delhi is greatly appreciated. The authors are also thankful to the editor and reviewer for their valuable input and comments, which have helped in improving the manuscript significantly.

Biographies

is a Ph.D. (Supply Chain Management), IIT (BHU); MBA (Marketing and Operations), IMNU-Ahmedabad; PG Diploma (Statistics and Computing), ISC-BHU; and B-Tech (ECE), IIT (BHU). He is working an Assistant Professor at FORE School of Management, New Delhi. Dr. Mishra has more than 13 years of experience in industries such as Healthcare, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Software, and IT. His research interest includes Healthcare management, Healthcare Supply Chain Management, Healthcare Informatics, and Digital Health.

is a FPM, IIM-Lucknow; MPIB, IIFT; and B.Tech., IIT-BHU (Varanasi) Dr. Mohita Gangwar Sharma is a Professor at FORE School of Management. She has more than 23 years of experience in the Industry and Academics. She is the recipient of the coveted Chevening Rolls-Royce Science and Innovation Scholarship at SAID Business School, University of Oxford with experience both in manufacturing and service industries in managerial capacities in various operational roles.

Author Contributions

VM: study planning, data collection and data analysis, and manuscript writing. MoGS: study planning, literature review, and manuscript writing.

There is not any funding to report.

Availability of Data and Material

Code availability, declarations.

There is not any conflict of interest to report.

Contributor Information

Vinaytosh Mishra, Email: ni.ca.msf@hsotyaniv .

Mohita G. Sharma, Email: ni.ca.msf@atihom .

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‘Heal in India’ initiative to boost medical tourism growth

Growth of Medical Value Tourism (MVT) key to India’s development and achieving the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’  Shri Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, said that India offers best of both

Growth of Medical Value Tourism (MVT) key to India’s development and achieving the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’

 Shri Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, said that India offers best of both modern and traditional systems of medicines and can provide holistic healing to people from across the world.

“Our country is one of the prominent destinations for medical tourism owing to the availability of quality healthcare treatment facilities at considerably low cost. The Indian systems of medicines such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, etc. are among the most ancient systems of medical treatment, of the world,” he said while speaking at the session, ‘Heal in India – Rejuvenate the Body, Mind and the Soul’ yesterday during the Tourism Week at the India Pavilion, EXPO2020 Dubai.

“The number of international patients increased from 4.3 lakhs in 2016 to 7 lakhs in 2019, with an estimated market size in the range of USD 6 billion in 2019. Some estimates suggest USD 9 billion in 2020 before pandemic hit,” he added.

Talking about the potential of medical tourism in India, he said, “India has become a favourite destination for yoga and wellness with its focus on traditional therapies through AYUSH – the government of India recognizes medical value travel and wellness tourism as important sectors having the potential of accelerating the country’s development and attaining the objective of Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

“The Ministry of Tourism constituted National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board to provide dedicated institutional framework for the promotion of medical and wellness tourism, including Indian system of medicine. We are developing the ‘Heal in India’ brand to market India as a medical and wellness tourism destination. Under the campaign, an integrated communication strategy to promote brand India will be prepared and executed in partnership with the industry,” he added.

Through a virtual address, Board   Dr Atul Mohan Kochhar, CEO, National Accreditation for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers, said, “ We started with one program in 2006, now we are running 21 programs under the accreditation, certification and empanelment arms. We have also partnered with more than 12,000 hospitals and are actively collaborating with NHA (National

Health authority) and Ayushman Bharat Yojana to create a strong system for transparent medical care.”

Addressing the session virtually, Prof Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said, “India has the advantage of providing holistic care using alternate medicine, Ayurveda and other methods including yoga and allopathy. Therefore, we need to look at preventive health packages and treatment health packages specially for patients who have non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, artery disease, or chronic respective diseases.”

Dr Sangita Reddy, Past President FICCI and Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals , said during her virtual address, “Indian healthcare system has high-quality hospitals. The nurses, doctors and other health care professionals are at par with the best in the world. India also has 39 Joint Commission international accredited multi-specialty hospitals with some of the latest technologies, infrastructure, and patients are discerning that the internet is a great medium of communication” .

“We are also committed to training and development of other ecosystems. Multiple doctors and nurses from various countries in Africa have visited India and have been part of the training program. We are committed to develop global partnerships in treatment, training, learning and research,” she added .

The session was also attended by experts in the healthcare industry including Mr. Sandeep Nanduri, Director, Tourism Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Krishna Teja, Director, Tourism Department, Government of Kerala, Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare, Dr D Ramanathan, Managing Director & Chief Physician, Sitaram Ayurveda and Mr. Abhilash Ramesh, Executive Director, Kairali Ayurvedic.

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• Medical Tourism in India Statistics 2024

Discover the allure of healthcare journeys with our engaging insights – Medical Tourism in India Statistics unpacked for your informed decisions and transformative experiences.

• Cosmetic And Plastic Surgery
• Hair Transplant Procedure

By Priyanka Dutta Deb

28th Jan '22

India is a popular destination for medical tourism, attracting around 2 million patients annually from 78 countries. These patients come for various treatments including medical, wellness, and IVF . This industry is valued at USD 7.69 billion in 2024 , is set to reach USD 14.31 billion by 2029 with a robust CAGR of 13.23% . 

Despite pandemic setbacks, the industry is rebounding, anticipating a 20% growth rate from 2023 to 2027. India is globally ranked 10th for medical tourism. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad provide excellent healthcare at affordable prices.

The diverse range of sought-after procedures includes cardiac surgery, orthopedics, cosmetic surgery, and dental care. India stands as a preferred destination for cost-effective, high-quality medical treatments, reinforcing its global prominence in the medical tourism landscape.

Did You Know? India ranks 10th out of 46 countries in the prestigious Medical Tourism Index 2020-21.

Is Medical Tourism Legal in India?

The answer is yes, Medical Tourism is completely legal in India. 

The governance of The National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board, the Quality Council of India, and the Ministry of AYUSH, ensures that NABH and Healthcare providers are functioning efficiently in the patient's interest to increase the nation's credibility in the healthcare sector.

Why is India Famous for Medical Tourism?

India's medical tourism industry has seen a major boom in recent years, and for good reason! Here are some of the key factors that make India a global leader in medical tourism:

1. Budget-Friendly Care: Medical treatment in India is significantly cheaper compared to developed nations. This affordability stems from lower labor costs and government subsidies. Imagine, a heart bypass costing $100,000 in the US would only set you back about $15,000 in India!

2. Top-Tier Expertise: India boasts a vast pool of skilled and experienced doctors and surgeons, many trained in the West. Their expertise coupled with well-equipped JCI and NABH accredited hospitals ensures world-class treatment and technology.

3. Language Ease: English is widely spoken in India, eliminating communication barriers and ensuring smooth interaction with medical professionals. No need for translators!

4. Traditional Touch: India's rich heritage of traditional medicine like Ayurveda and yoga attracts tourists seeking a holistic approach to healthcare. These ancient practices complement modern treatments for a comprehensive wellness experience.

5. Tourist Delights: Beyond healthcare, India's vibrant culture and historical marvels like the Taj Mahal and picturesque Goan beaches entice medical tourists to combine treatment with leisure.

6. Government Backing: Recognizing the industry's potential, the Indian government actively promotes medical tourism. They've facilitated entry by introducing medical visas and streamlining visa applications.

7. Evolving Trends: The dynamic medical tourism scene in India constantly evolves. Wellness tourism focusing on preventive care and holistic well-being, and the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery are some exciting trends.

Wondering how cost-effective medical tourism in India truly is? Let's break it down.

How Cost-Effective is Medical Tourism in India?

India's medical tourism scene boasts an undeniable advantage: remarkable cost-effectiveness . Compared to developed nations like the US and Europe, you can often save a staggering 60-80% on procedures. This affordability, driven by various factors, lures medical tourists seeking high-quality care without breaking the bank.

• Heart bypass surgery: In the US, prepare to pay upwards of $100,000, while in India, it could be just $15,000 ( 75% saving )!
• Orthopedic surgery: Knee replacement, exceeding $30,000 in the US, can be found for around $7,000 in India ( 76% cost reduction ).
• Cosmetic surgery: Rhinoplasty, priced at $10,000 in the US, can be obtained for roughly $3,000 in India ( 70% saving ).
• Dental care: Even routine procedures like dental implants, costing $4,000 in the US, can be done for $1,000 in India ( 75% saving ).

Why such low prices? Because,

• Lower labor costs: Indian medical professionals generally have lower salaries, translating to reduced treatment costs.
• Government subsidies: The Indian government actively supports medical tourism by providing subsidies to hospitals and clinics, further lowering treatment costs.
• Competition: A thriving medical tourism industry fosters healthy competition among healthcare providers, driving down prices for patients.

But wait, does affordability compromise quality? Absolutely not!

• Skilled professionals: India boasts a large pool of highly qualified and experienced doctors and surgeons, many trained in Western institutions.
• Advanced technology: JCI and NABH-accredited hospitals in India employ cutting-edge medical technology and equipment, ensuring world-class treatment.
• Strict regulations: Stringent regulations and accreditations ensure adherence to international quality and safety standards. 

Which Treatments are Preferred for Medical Tourism in India?

The government of India has set up facilitation centers for international tourists in Delhi, Mumbai , Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, and Kolkata.

These metro cities have been selected due to their:

• International connectivity
• ease of intercity commutation
• state-of-the-art infrastructure hospitals
• renowned and established doctors
• compassionate caregivers
• food for all ethnicity
• and affordable accommodation for pre and post-operative stay till you heal.

COVID-19 was a wake-up call for the country's failing infrastructure in tier II and tier III cities and rural development.

The government of India was quick to act on this shortfall and made special provisions for loans to build healthcare infrastructure in these cities.

Loans to the Hospitals and Hospitality Sector 

India recognizes the immense potential of medical tourism and actively champions its expansion through various initiatives.A key part of this plan involves providing loans to hospitals and the hospitality sector. This financial support helps boost infrastructure, expand services, and meet the needs of more medical tourists.

Key Loan Schemes:

• TFCIL Term Loans: Offered by the Tourism Finance Corporation of India Ltd., these loans support setting up, expanding, or modernizing hospitals, resorts, and various hospitality establishments.
• Developing Medical Tourism Hubs: The government is investing a huge $14.8 billion to improve hospitals and support the tourism industry. The goal is to create outstanding medical tourism hubs in India with the latest technology and skilled professionals.
• Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme: The Ministry of Tourism's updated MDA scheme gives financial help to medical tourism service providers. This support helps with marketing and promotions, making it easier to attract international patients to India.

Benefits of these Loan Schemes:

• Enhanced Facilities: Upgraded hospitals and hospitality establishments elevate the medical tourism experience, attracting more patients.
• Increased Capacity: Loans enable expansion of healthcare services and accommodation options, catering to the rising demand from medical tourists.
• Job Creation: The medical tourism sector's growth leads to job creation in both healthcare and hospitality, boosting the economy.
• Global Competitiveness: By providing financial support, the government helps Indian hospitals and hospitality providers compete with international destinations.

Looking for the best medical tourism company in India? Well, look no further. Let me introduce you to a standout option that consistently delivers exceptional services.

Which is the Best Medical Tourism Company in India?

India has many medical tourism companies operating 24*7 to provide services to medical tourists. Some of the best medical tourism companies are listed below for your reference.

• Vaidam, Gurgaon, India
• Clinicspots, Mumbai, India
• We Care Health Services, Mumbai, India
• ARINAA Medical Tourism, Chennai, India
• Mediniq, Bangalore, India.
• Alphine Life Solutions, Mumbai, India
• MediConnect India, New Delhi, India
• TransEarth Medical Tourism, Mumbai, India
• Health Opinion, Tamilnadu, India
• ANAVARA, Chennai, India

Technological Advancement in Medical Tourism in India

• AI analyzes medical data for accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment plans.
• Robotic surgery with AI ensures precision, minimal scarring, and faster recovery.
• Administrative tasks like scheduling and billing are streamlined with AI automation.
• Virtual consultations offer remote access to doctors, making healthcare more accessible.
• Wearable devices enable remote monitoring, ensuring proactive interventions.
• Post-operative telemedicine ensures continuous care and support for patients.
• AR/VR revolutionizes medical education with realistic simulations for professionals.
• AR/VR educates patients about medical conditions and treatment options interactively.
• VR experiences assist in pain management and anxiety reduction during procedures.
• Blockchain ensures secure storage and sharing of patient medical data.
• Smart contracts automate insurance claims, enhancing efficiency and security.
• Patients have secure access to complete medical records, empowering effective health management.
• Digital tools enable targeted advertising and content marketing for healthcare providers.
• Patient portals and apps facilitate appointment booking and direct communication with doctors.
• Virtual tours and online reviews build trust and attract international patients.

Future of Medical Tourism in India

The future of medical tourism in India shines bright, brimming with exciting possibilities and fueled by continuous growth and adaptation. Here's a glimpse into what lies ahead for this thriving industry:

Exponential Growth:

• The market is expected to reach a staggering USD 26.7 billion by 2032 , a testament to its sustained momentum. 
• Growth is projected to be driven by factors like rising healthcare costs in developed nations, increased awareness of medical tourism opportunities, and continuous improvement in India's healthcare infrastructure.

Specialization Takes Center Stage:

• Hospitals and clinics will increasingly specialize in niche treatment areas to cater to specific patient segments. This specialization will attract patients seeking cutting-edge expertise and superior care for complex conditions.
• Areas like oncology, organ transplants, and personalized medicine are likely to witness significant growth within the specialized medical tourism landscape.

Tech Revolutionizes Healthcare

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• AI transforms healthcare by enabling accurate diagnoses, personalized treatment plans, and improving administrative processes.

2. Telemedicine

• Growing popularity of telemedicine for remote consultations, enhancing healthcare accessibility and convenience globally.

3. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR)

• VR/AR technologies revolutionize medical education, elevating the skills of healthcare professionals in India.

Wellness Blends with Modern Medicine

1. Wellness Tourism

• Rising trend integrates conventional treatment with Ayurveda, yoga, and naturopathy for a holistic healthcare approach.

2. Preventive Care

• Focus on preventive care and overall well-being attracts health-conscious individuals seeking transformative experiences.

Sustainability Takes Root

1. Responsible Practices

• Emphasis on environmentally sustainable and ethically responsible medical tourism practices.

Initiatives

• Eco-friendly hospital operations, fair compensation for professionals, and transparent pricing ensure industry success.

2. Government Continues to Support

Active Role

• Indian government's ongoing support through increased investments in infrastructure, healthcare workforce training, and marketing initiatives.

Digitalization and Collaboration

• Focus on digitalization, streamlined visa processes, and international collaborations to strengthen India's medical tourism standing.

Overall, the future of medical tourism in India is marked by growth, driven by specialization, technology, holistic health, and government backing. Embracing innovation, and sustainability, and prioritizing patient well-being positions India as a global leader, offering accessible, high-quality healthcare experiences worldwide.

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Question and Answers

How can I reduce my breast I have a big breast and small buttocks

Female | 17

I would recommend for you to visit a plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reduction surgery. This technique includes removal of too much breast tissue and reshaping the rest to create a more balanced figure. But it has to be mentioned that any operation carries the risk of complications and side effects. Hence the discussion on the pros and cons of the breast reduction surgery should be made with a professional specialist before making a final decision.

Answered on 29th Mar '24

Dr. Vinod Vij

How to increase breast size with medicines

Female | 27

I don't recommend any medicines to increase breast size. There is no clinically proven medication that effectively enhances breast size. It is important to consult a specialist, such as a plastic surgeon for proper evaluation and guidance on safe and effective options for breast augmentation.

Answered on 18th Mar '24

Dr. Deepesh Goyal

Why do I have breasts even when I am a man it's been 2 years and it's not going iam not able to wear t-shirts and I feel ashamed and iam not even that overweight

The condition of breast enlargement in men is called gynecomastia . It can be due to hormonal changes, medications or health conditions. It is advised that a plastic surgeon should be consulted for further evaluation and management. Do not medicate yourself, or take nonprescription medications without consulting a doctor.  

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Dr. Harikiran Chekuri

I need hair replacement due to hair loss

There are a number of considerations if you are thinking of hair replacement from hair loss and there is an array of options, each with differing benefits. The surgical options such as hair transplant surgery FUE or FUT are lasting procedures that move your present hair follicles to the areas that are thinning. Some of the nonsurgical options include drugs such as minoxidil or finasteride, which retard hair loss and promote new growth or cosmetic solutions such as hair systems or wigs. The approach to use depends on patterns and area of coverage, overall health, and personal preference as such; a consultation with a dermatologist or a hair transplant specialist is important in order to determine the appropriate method that can be applied in your case. 

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The post-pregnancy treatment for armpit fat focuses on specific exercises and healthy living. Enfold strength training focusing on the chest and back muscles in your workout. Cardio workouts help with total body fat loss. Keep a balanced diet with sufficient hydration. Work with a trainer for customized workout programs. It takes patience and consistency to get gradual sustainable results. However, if worries arise, consult a medical or fitness expert for further advice.

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