Updates on the Latest News about Medical Tourism in India
Weekly Medical Tourism News and Updates
The categories covered in this report are:
Investments in Medical Tourism
1. The healthcare tourism conundrum
What's the buzzword in the western news media? Healthcare tourism and India's role in the establishment of provision of affordable treatments, while the costs of treatments abroad are skyrocketing. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, there are 46.6 million uninsured Americans. The number of Americans travelling overseas for treatments is getting higher each year. MedicalToursim.com calculates the cost for critical heart bypass in India is just 7.7 per cent of the cost in the U.S. The costs for other surgeries including hip replacement are less than 20 per cent of that in the U.S.
However, here's the catch - in the latest WHO report, India (among other poor countries in Africa and South Asia) was identified as having the least number of healthcare professionals. India has around 650,000 physicians with a density of 0.60 physicians per 1000 people. In comparison, the U.S. has 2.56 per 1000 and most Western nations have at least four times higher density of doctors than India.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Source: The Hindu
Holistic Healing Centres
1. Monsoons, the best time for ayurveda in Kerala
With the onset of the monsoons in Kerala, tourist resorts and Ayurvedic spas are preparing for tourist arrivals with rejuvenating health packages. According to experts, the rainy season is the best time for Ayurvedic treatment. Why? Because the atmosphere is absolutely dust-free, and this opens up the pores of the body, and this, therefore, makes the body more receptive to herbal oils and other Ayurvedic medicines. Somaratheem Ayurvedic Resort physician C.J. Naveen says that his resort is all geared up for the monsoon rush. Said Naveen to IANS, "We cater to tourists who come for specially for treatment and not just for sightseeing. For those who have a time constraint, we get their medical files early and study their problems in detail even before they arrive. So the treatment protocols are ready when they come here." The Kerala state health department is also obviously preparing for the arrival of tourists and is adopting strict measures to check fraudulent ayurveda services and products.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Source: newKerala.com
Travel Agencies
1. Medical Tourism – Avoid Years of Unnecessary Debt
Kathie Thornton needed to go through hip resurfacing surgery, and to her amazement, this cost only $7,500, which is 80% less than what it would have cost her in the U.S. True that she had to travel all the way to India, but eventually, this would still save her a whole lot of money. Aware of the benefits of travelling abroad for treatments - quality AND savings - the number of Americans and Europeans travelling to countries like India, Thailand, Singapore and nearby countries like Mexico is ever-increasing. The high administrative and labor costs in the US help explain the high cost of medicine in the country. India is on Healthbase's network and has a much lower cost of labour, and this makes it possible for the country to offer much cheaper services to foreigners. When one logs on to Healthbase.com, one can't help but notice that the international hospitals in its network are internationally accredited with JCI, JCAHO or ISO certifications. According to Kathie Thornton: “The quality of care is beyond excellence. On every level, from the first thing in the morning till bedtime, it’s personal and excellent.”
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Source: EARTHtimes.org
2. Medical Vacations: Get Well And See The World
These days, medicine is all about resorts and safaris and beaches. Medical tourism, the travel industries’ reference to the international phenomenon, allows patients seeking medical attention to receive treatment for far less than the ordinary prices in the States, as well as a chance to sightsee and recuperate in an exotic location. Patients return with a new look, better health - completely recuperated. In India, Medical Tourism India offers packages including Lasik surgery, as well as a whole lot of excursions to some of the country's most monumental places.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Source: Resident Publications
3. LONG BRIDGE: Americans travel to India for dental work, and like their experience
63-year-old Pamela Salem O'Hagan (who has appeared in a James Bond movie), born in Mumbai, who now lives in Beverly Hills, California, made a trip to India in November, not to catch up with old times or to visit the Taj Mahal, but for seven inexpensive tooth implants for her husband, Michael (who has had roles on TV and in films, including End of Days), 65. They went to Google and within 0.15 seconds, a series of names popped up - names that can be credited as India's finest dentists and other medical experts. “Going to a dentist here is so ridiculously expensive,” Pamela said. “The prices are wicked! I had two terribly bad dentists here and had lost all confidence in them.” Dr. Pradhan, whom they found after a little bit of digging, gave them such a low quote that it was impossible for the copuple to resist.
Of course, not everyone is convinced that travelling halfway across the world is the ultimate answer to solving one's medical queries. According to Dr. Kimberley Harms, a consumer adviser and spokeswoman with the American Dental Association: “We encourage people to do their research before deciding to go abroad and get treatment. Find out what laws exist in that country to protect them against any kind of medical negligence and whether the dental treatment available there conforms to international standards.” Pamela o'Hagan too admits that the quick travel and return to the U.S. was a bit of a hassle but then she could have enlisted a a medical tourism company to organize the expedition - a company such as Erco Travels in New Delhi, which makes all necessary arrangements. “People interested just shoot us an e-mail and we make the arrangements, from fixing their appointments with doctors and clinics, their stay and tourist itinerary,” said one of the company’s directors, Ravi Gusain.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Source: Journalnow
|
Stay abreast of the fast moving economic super-power — India!
