Boom in medical tourism in Kerala.
By Zenobia Khaleel
SAN FRANCISCO: We’ve all done that. During our holiday trips back home, we wedge in a medical procedure in our itinerary. Get a Lasik, a Dental correction or an executive physical done at a mere fraction of the cost over here in the US. Now, everyone else is getting on to this act too. People from US, UK, Africa and the Middle East are increasingly landing in India for quality and cost effective healthcare.
The medical tourism industry in India is emerging as a money spinner, with the highest growth potential after the IT and BPO sector. The primary factor that lures the tourist is the definitive cost advantage (a hip replacement surgery costs up to $12,000 in U.S, while in India, the procedure would cost $4000). Coupled with clinical expertise and super specialized private healthcare centers that caters to international standards, the industry has succeeded in outsourcing medical care to India and is expected to generate $10 billion by 2017.
Compared to metros like Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, Kerala is a new entrant to the medical tourism boom. An ace up the state’s sleeve is Ayurveda, practiced in its traditional and authentic form. The charms of the tranquil backwaters and the scenic beaches of Kerala has been roped in with the therapeutic powers of Ayurveda to form holistic rejuvenation packages. Kerala is emerging as a hot medical tourist destination, with clientele including celebrities like Naomi Campbell and director Bernardo Bertolucci.
The past few years has seen a resurgence of Ayurvedic treatment centers throughout the state. Kottakkal, Kairali, Shanthigiri and Vaidyaratnam are the premier Ayurvedic centers in Kerala, boasting of state of the art facilities . Apart from cures for a host of diseases like paralysis, arthritis, and other psychosomatic diseases, the Ayurvedic research team in these institutes has devised detoxifying regimens that bolster the body’s immunity when dealing with maladies like Parkinsons, motor neuron diseases, and various forms of cancer. Most luxury resorts in Kerala have added Ayurvedic spas in their list of amenities and provide wellness package deals to tourists.
Medical tourism is booming in the mainstream medical sector too; the few internationally accredited hospitals in the state treat roughly 40,000 foreign patients a year. Lakeshore Hospital, Amrita Institute, Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS), are among the multi-specialty hospitals doing brisk business with international visitors. Some of the most sought after procedures being cardiac care, cosmetic surgery, neurosurgery, fertility treatment, transplant surgery and dental care.
The streamlined efforts of the major hospitals, health insurance companies, policy-makers, tourism promotion boards, hotels and resorts, health, travel and tour operators is a key factor that lead to the surge in the medical tourism sector. Major healthcare centers have undergone extreme makeovers to give the ideal setting for surgery, recovery and relaxation.
Lakeshore, MIMS, and other leading hospitals have exclusive international floors where perks include: luxury suites, international waiting lounge, shuttle service from airports, multi-linguistically trained guest relation executives, options for translator, private chef, other tailor-made services, individual patient attention by guest assistants, recuperative holiday at a resort.
The flip side of the coin is that the indulgence on international visitors can leave the common Indian patient frustrated in overcrowded waiting rooms as he shares the limited resources and facilities with his foreign counterpart. The emphasis on strengthening of private health care services comes at the expense of broadening the public health care system, particularly in rural areas.
The popularity of Ayurvedic treatment has spawned the growth of indigenous healing methods in Kerala, some of them dubious to say the least. The absence of government defined standards in these sectors leads to more woes for the incredulous tourists who get subjected to ‘miraculous’ healing methods and potions. Due to the lack of transparency within hospitals, the patient has no access to reliable credentials of the doctors, and has to rely on street cred like, ‘treated an eminent politician in Delhi’ or ‘always appears on TV’.
The bottom-line, before the state digs in deeper to exploit the medical tourism sector, is to examine and ensure that the billions of dollars ringing in the hospital registers should not come at the cost of the health of the poor Indian patients.