Travel News April 2007

More Tidbits

• India's healthy appeal: Modern (and cheap) services promoted
• Bangalore Medical tourism

• Indian hospitals beckon unemployed British doctors
• Healthcare goes five-star in India
• Award for Excellence in the Field of Cheek Implant Surgery in India for Forerunners Healthcare

India's healthy appeal: Modern (and cheap) services promoted
The Indian government anticipates that by the year 2012, the medical tourism industry could be worth $2 billion. There are some 50 million patients in the United States that do not have their health insurance covered, and India is keen on attracting these foreign patients. India's holistic approach to medicine is it's prime attraction, and moreover, medical tourists can combine their treatment with trips to the country's various tourist hotspots. The main point of focus, however, are the cheap and reasonable prices being offered to the patients by India's hospitals. Tourism Minister, Ambika Soni, stated, "We are going to aggressively promote the fact that India is second to none in terms of its doctors," the tourism minister, Ambika Soni, said in Delhi. "You get treated by the best doctors, you check into the best hospitals and you save yourselves four-fifths of the cost of treatment in the U.S."
Friday, March 09, 2007
Source: International Herald Tribune

Bangalore Medical tourism
Bangalore hospitals is fast nudging Mumbai out of the way as it gears up to manage the ever-growing global market. The hospitals here are offering world-class services and treatments to overseas patients, especially from the Gulf. Whether it is the introduction of healing coaches for patients or the incorporation of aerobic centres, hospitals in Bangalore are leaving no stone unturned. According to Dr Devi Shetty, chairman of Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Cardiac Sciences: "Flying in from 30 different countries, 'medical tourists' account for 10 per cent of patients in the top hospitals, but the majority are seen from UAE and Saudi Arabia."

Manipal Hospital checks in over 3000 foreign patients, particularly from the Gulf. "Plans to bring in a team of doctors from Bangalore to show them around Dubai in the near future is also on the cards," Emirates commercial operations senior vicepresident (West Asia and Indian Ocean) reveals Nabil Sultan. Besides the introduction of eight flights a week to Bangalore in late 2006, Emirates also added 20 more flights to India.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Source: The Times of India

Indian hospitals beckon unemployed British doctors
For what seems like a change, young doctors from the UK are looking to India for employment in private hospitals. Thousands of British doctors are emigrating to other countries due to uncertainties caused by flaws found in their recruitment system known as Modernising Medical Careers (MMC).

Due to dejection and frustrations as a result of being unable to find jobs in British hospitals, hundreds have applied for jobs elsewhere. One of the main hospitals attracting these young British physicians is the K.G. Hospital and Post-graduate Medical Institute in Coimbatore.

A junior doctor from the Oxford Deanery who applied for a job in Australia and New Zealand was offered a year-long surgical spot in New South Wales within a few days. According to the doctor: "I feel I have been forced out and betrayed by consultants and the government. I still hope to come back to the UK [but] if I was offered a training programme in Australia I would stay." However, while loads of these UK doctors have been looking overseas for jobs, many of the Indian doctors have been short-listed in the present round of employment. Lakshman Raman, Vice-Chairman of the British Association of Physicians of Indian origin (BAPIO) stated: "While it is difficult to calculate numbers, we have heard from quite a number of (Indian) doctors saying they have been shortlisted for interviews. It is, therefore, also true that those who have not been shortlisted have not been successful because of other factors and not because of their nationality. We are quite pleased about this".
Monday, March 19, 2007
Source: India eNews

Healthcare goes five-star in India
Healthcare is the new buzzword for corporates and individual businessmen alike, with a majority of them setting up private hospitals under their banner. Private healthcare has grown into a formidable industry with an estimated worth of Rs. 80,000 crore (CII estimate). The result: hospitals that don’t resemble hospitals, machines that were once unheard of in India and services that can match any five-star hotel. That’s right, People, the Indian healthcare industry is getting an extreme makeover, and is touching the lives of both Indians and foreigners alike.

According to a CII study, with demand exceeding supply, the industry is expected to continue its upward run at a rate of 13 per cent annually for the next six years. Hospitals are selling their treatment services by hiring the best names from the medical field. But healthcare is not a one-man show. Whether the expertise is trickling down to the doctors’ juniors is yet to be seen. The movement is still in its nascent stage and sustenance of service and standards over the next few years will be the deciding factor. Healthcare experts also feel the need for medical standardization, accreditation and certification in the medical sector by the government, to maintain standards. The availability of an alternative to government hospitals, and of quality care at reasonable costs, is changing the lives of tens of thousands of people.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Source: rediff NEWS

Award for Excellence in the Field of Cheek Implant Surgery in India for Forerunners Healthcare
At the two-day International workshop-cum-conference in Bangalore held on the 20th of February, Forerunners Healthcare Consultants won an award for provision of services to International patients coming to India for cheek implant surgery. Forerunners received the award from the Association of Cosmetic Surgery India.

It was a huge gathering of globally renowned cosmetic surgeons known for performances in cheek implant surgery. Forerunners Healthcare has marked the beginning of India's medical tourism sector and has provided services to over 500 patients from across the globe.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Source: PR

Interested in visiting India for medical care? Clueless about what to do next? Send us your questions and we will try and answer them in future issues.