Favorite destination for medical tourism

RIYADH: Who could have guessed 25 years ago that India would grow into one of the world’s most important destinations for health travelers?
Driven by a surging economy, a surplus of well-trained health care practitioners, low infrastructure costs and a proven national penchant for international outsourcing of customer service, India is now the world’s value leader for the international cost-conscious medical traveler.
Patients willing to undergo some of India’s cultural challenges will realize savings of up to 85 percent on high-acuity procedures such as heart nad liver transplantation and joint works.
Serving more than 700,000 international patients annually, the vast subcontinent welcomes international medical travelers in several large metro areas including Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.
Advantages of medical treatment in India include reduced costs, the availability of latest medical technologies, and a growing compliance on international quality standards, as well as the fact that foreigners are less likely to face a language barrier in India.
Moreover the Indian government is taking steps to address infrastructure issues that hinder the country’s growth in medical tourism.
On the top of all, the Indian government has removed visa restrictions on tourist visas that required a two-month gap between consecutive visits for people from Gulf countries which is likely to boost medical tourism.
A visa-on-arrival scheme for tourists from select countries has also been instituted which allows foreign nationals to stay in India for 30 days for medical reasons. No doubt, India today has emerged as an international medical travel destination for patients seeking world class treatment at competitive rates.
Over the years, India has grown to become a top-notch destination for medical value travel because it scores high over a range of factors that determines the overall quality of care.
Imagine a complex surgical procedure being done in a world class global hospital by acclaimed medical specialists at a fifth to tenth of what it normally takes! That’s India. From quality of therapy, range of procedural and treatment options, infrastructure and skilled manpower to perform any medical procedure with zero waiting time, the list of benefits of traveling for medical treatment in India are many.
Indeed, the high-end health care system in India is as good as the best in the world. India maintains not only a robust accreditation system but also a large number of accredited facilities (about 275 such facilities that match any global infrastructure).