Medical Tourism in India

Medical Tourism in India is a million-dollar booming business, drawing loads of overseas patients. Medical Travel India is projected to capture 2.5% of the International Medical Tourism Market by the year 2012, with concurrent revenue projects of $ 2.3 billion. It has been estimated, that the Medical Tourism Industry in India will attract over 1.1 million patients from across the globe, by the end of 2012.

Contemporary and state-of-the-art infrastructure, high-end technological support, and excellent quality of health care make India, an alluring Medical Trip destination, chiefly for patients in the U.K., and the U.S., where health care costs are exceedingly steep. Coming to India for a Medical Trip helps save a significant amount of money, sometimes to the tune of 50 % to 70 %.

Importantly, the low cost of medical care, in no way indicates substandard or poor quality. Indian hospitals provide first-class services and facilities. Also, Medical Travel to India helps to do away with the long waiting lines that patients experience in their home country, and thus, assists them in gaining easy access to timely medical care.

Indian expertise and excellence in health care

Indian hospitals, within Medical Tourism Corporation’s network, are JCI accredited and highly renowned for their superior quality of health care. JCI accreditation ensures that the quality of medical and surgical care is at par with the American standards.

Also, the Indian accreditation system (NABH) calls for larger efficiency, more answerability, responsible control in hospitals, and helps eliminate any negligence or deficiencies in the quality of health care. The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) comes under the purview of the board of the Quality Council of India. It is set up to ascertain and run an accreditation program for medical and health care organizations. The board is formed to take care of the needs of the patients and to set a yardstick for the progress of the Indian Health Industry.

Presently, it accredits hospitals and nursing homes, and will be accrediting Diagnostic Centers, Dental Clinics, Ayurvedic Hospitals and Blood Banks, in the near future.

• India offers several super-specialty hospitals dedicated to providing cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, spinal surgeries, orthopedic surgery (including knee and hip replacement surgery), organ transplant surgery (including liver, kidney), Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Neurology, Urology, Gynecology / Obstetrics / Surrogacy, Psychiatry, General Medicine and General Surgery, Cancer management, Cosmetic treatments, and Dental care. With a gigantic boost in medical tourism, India has seen a massive upsurge in private sector hospitals that are devoted to overseas patients.
• Affordable and inexpensive costs of medical care services, approximately 30 % to 70 % lower than the costs in the United States, make Health Tourism to India highly appealing to an overseas patient.
• Vastly skilled, experienced and trained doctors, physicians and surgeons, of international fame and repute, perform the most complicated surgeries and procedures. Further, the doctors are supported by a strong, comprehensive and well trained paramedical force comprising of nurses, technicians, attendants, clinical co-ordinators, and nutritionists.
• The amenities offered by the hospitals are all state of the art, and the technological expertise utilized by the doctors is world class and latest.
• The hospitals use first-rate and safe implants and consumables.
• There is virtually zero wait time involved.
• The hospital staff speaks English very easily and fluently, thus eradicating any communication gaps or slip-ups.

Added advantage of Medical Tourism in India

India has been a tourist hot spot and has lured foreigners predominantly because of its mysticism, spirituality, exotic locales, and rich history and culture. But, as exceptional standards of medical treatment emerge, and there is a larger demand for low-priced, yet good quality health care, and an active involvement of the private sector, foreign patients have started perceiving the country as a perfect destination to have medical, surgical, and dental care treatments. With privatization of health care services (private sector controls about 80% of the health care market in India), enormous and massive growth of infrastructure, improved technological support and facilities, and increasing awareness regarding quality and international accreditations like JCI, India has surfaced as a strong contender in the Medical Tourism Market.

Furthermore, India is the home of the largest pharmaceutical industry in the world, which has a self sufficient drug production, and exports drugs to over 180 countries across the globe.

The strongest advantage in favor of India is its ability to provide international quality of medical care at the lowest rates, in comparison with any other part of Asia. In addition to saving costs, Health Tours to India, can save significant amount of time and the required surgical / medical care can be sought almost instantaneously on arrival.

Spa treatments, Yoga, Ayurveda and naturopathy have always enticed tourists to India. Throughout the country, there are countless health spas, relaxation and meditation centers that offer therapeutic healing of the body, mind and soul. These centers provide comfortable and luxurious accommodations and have picturesque locales as their backdrop. Holistic centers in Kerala, Goa, and Himachal are especially renowned. The comfort, calm, and reassurance of the treatments can perk up the body’s well being by enhancing its own inherent curing abilities and can promote a sense of tranquility, and peace.

Massages at these centers offer the perfect solution to combat the deleterious effects of accumulated stress and helps harmonize and bring peace to a troubled body, mind, and soul.

Indian Food

India is famous across the world for its curry. However, it is inappropriate to stereotype Indian food which comprises of a variety of herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits across the country. It is a predominantly vegetarian country, though one can find non-vegetarian foods readily, which are equally spicy and tasty. Due to the sheer size of the country and different linguistic practices, there is substantial difference in assortment and cooking techniques across the country. To simplify, Indian cuisine is categorized into six basic tastes which include spicy, sour, sweet, bitter, salty and astringent. Across the different techniques and assortment patterns Indian dish comprises of all the six basic tastes.

With globalization and increasing influence of western culture on life style and practices, most of the metros across the country also provide options of Continental foods like Italian, Mexican, Thai, Mediterranean, etc.

Treatment packages comprise of the natural, whole, macrobiotic and organic diets, therapeutic and unrefined foods, meditation and rejuvenation techniques, ayurveda treatments (shirodhara, panchakarma, traditional ayurvedic massage, snehan, svedan, etc.), and a host of other detoxification procedures. After a surgery / a dental procedure, a stay at a wellness center appreciably helps speed up the healing process. Medical Tourism to India is absolute worth for your money. You can choose from an extensive range of spa treatments to recuperate after your procedure. Indulge yourself at the various spa resorts and experience a sense of complete transformation.

As opposed to the Himalayas, Kerala is sultry and tropical. Located on the South western tip of India, it is referred to as ‘God’s Own Country’. Kerala has been chosen as one of the 50 top locales that ought to be visited, and one of the 13 paradises in the world, by the National Geographic Traveler. A moderate climate, picturesque beaches, coconut fringed backwaters, and exotic wildlife are the major attractions of this place. The star attractions of this location are the traditional Ayurvedic spas.

A tropical paradise, Goa is well-known for its amazing beaches and luxurious hotels. There are scores of old churches, monuments, temples, museums, and quaint villages which are worth visiting. The culture of Goa is a merging of Indian and Portugal customs and lifestyles.

Indian culture

Indian culture is extremely ancient and covers a wide range of folk songs, folklore, dances, ancient art, and traditions. Every region in India is very diverse and each one has its own signature style, custom, and ethnicity.

Indian cuisine

Indian cuisine is as diverse and varied as the culture and landscapes in the country. Each region offers different, varied, and mouth-watering gastronomic delights. All the coastal kitchens make use of generous amounts of fish and coconuts. The desert cuisines of Rajasthan and Gujarat use an enormous variety of vegetables and pulses. Tamarind imparts sourness to Tamilian food. Northern India offers lip-smacking Kashmiri, Moghlai, and Punjabi fares.

With rapid culinary evolution, at all the metros, you will easily find the food of your choice, right from local dishes, to the blending of various cooking styles, to continental meals.

Achievements of Ancient India

• Yoga came from the ancient India Hindu religious text books & practice.
• Indian’s invented the number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta – an Indian Mathematician.
• The world’s first university was established in Takshila (State of Bihar in India ) in 700BC.
• Ayurveda, ancient Indian medicine system, is the earliest school of medicine known to man.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus came from India.
• Chess (Shataranj or Ashtapada) was invented in India.
• Indian astrologer Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years back.

Travel tips

• The Indian currency is rupee. It is available in denominations of Rs 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. Changing money in India can be quite a tedious process. So, it is advisable that you to change a considerable amount at one time. Travelers’ cheques are not accepted at all the banks. Ensure that you change money at accredited bureaus only. Changing money at any other place is illegal. Currency can be exchanged at the airport also. Money-changers are available at quite a few hotels as well. You will find numerous branches of International foreign exchange providers in all the metros. There are no constraints on the amount of foreign currency that you can bring in.
• While traveling within the country, do not drink water from taps or roadside vendors. Drink only bottled water.
• Always eat fruits you can peel. Wash the fruits thoroughly with water before eating.
• Avoid eating food at roadside vends, even if they look tempting! Also, try to stay away from spicy / pungent dishes, especially in the early stages of your travel.
• It is prudent to keep a mosquito repellent with you.
• If you are visiting India during the summer, ensure that you drink plenty of water and stay well hydrated, cover your head with scarves or hats, wear sunglasses and slather on a good sun-block. Stay indoors in the afternoon.
• There have been several instances of crime, especially against foreigners in India. Traveling alone in remote / secluded areas, and after dark is particularly risky. Also, foreigners are easy targets for robbery and thieving. Pick pocketing and bag snatching are relatively common; thus, avoid crowded areas, where it is easy for thieves to operate. Also, stealing passports from the luggage, on trains and buses is fairly prevalent. Theft of U.S. passports is rather common, mainly in major tourist areas. Another thing that foreign tourists ought to know is that political demonstrations are extremely common in India. These protests often become aggressive and cause disturbance of transportation services, making it slightly inconvenient for foreigners.

How will Medical Tourism Corporation assist you?

Medical Tourism Corporation looks in to each and every section of the Medical Value Trip, with the minutest detail. It helps make travel to India trouble-free, comfortable and pleasurable, it arranges for the best and most proficient hospital services, and makes accessible to you, the deftest, best trained and the most experienced doctors and medical team. The tiniest feature of the trip to India, right from obtaining visas / permits, making comfortable hotel accommodations, hospital costs for the treatment, doctors’ fees, ride to and from the heath center, to the airfare and transport services and arranging for sight seeing, within the country, is handled brilliantly by MTC. Hospitals within the network of Medical Tourism Corporation, have specially designed guest suites to comfortably house the patient and the accompanying guest.

Also, MTC has made arrangements with various hotels that promise round the clock nursing and care for post-discharge patients. Heading to a beautiful and quiet locale after the procedure, facilitates quicker recovery, and helps you to rest, and enjoy a beautiful vacation at an interesting location.

If you plan to seek health care abroad, India is unquestionably one destination that you ought to think about. There couldn’t be a better place than India to recuperate and unwind. Medical Tourism in India is an absolute package of health care, wellness, sight seeing, discovering a new destination, pleasure, and loads of savings. We sincerely hope that this information will be a helpful guide and of enormous use to you, to decide on India as the medical tourism destination.

Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates medical treatment to top Hospitals in India. Request a free quote using the form on this page more information.