Medical tourists come to India to avail our health services which combine the latest medical technologies with qualified professionals and are cheaper for foreigners as compared to the costs of similar healthcare services in their own countries. They come for surgeries, liver transplants, dental and even cosmetic care.
Overall, traveling to India for medical treatment offers a unique combination of quality medical care, affordability, traditional therapies, and cultural experiences that make it an attractive destination for medical tourists. Many patients engage in medical tourism because the procedures they seek can be performed in other countries at relatively low cost and without the delay and inconvenience of being placed on a waiting list.
Other source countries from where a large number of medical tourists come to India include Iraq, Oman, Maldives, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Saudi Arabia. As per India Tourism Statistics 2017, 63 per cent tourists arriving in India from Iraq were medical travellers. Nigeria, Yemen and Afghanistan are other countries in which the share of medical travellers out of the total travellers coming to India was more than 40 per cent.
The USPs that have made India one of the preferred medical tourism spots are:
- Lower cost of treatment
With the cost of medical treatment in India the developed Western world remaining high, the Indian medical tourism sector has an edge because of cost-effective medical care. Studies have shown that healthcare in India saves 65-90 per cent money compared to similar service in the United States.
- World-class services and care
Indian doctors are recognised as among the best at the international level. Medical technology, equipments, facilities and infrastructure in India are at par with international standards. India has around 33 JCI (Joint Commission International)-accredited and 400 NABH-accredited hospitals, at present.
- Less wait time
The wait time for surgery and medical treatment in India are non-existent compared to Western nations, where patients have to wait for weeks or even months for life-saving treatments.
- Ease of getting medical visa
The introduction of e-Medical Visa and e-Medical Attendant Visa for travellers has been a game changer for India. Medical travellers from 166 countries can arrive in India through 26 designated airports and five designated seaports with e-Medical Visa. Unlike other categories of e-visa, a traveller can enter the country up to three times with an e-Medical Visa. There is also a provision of issuing e-Medical Attendant Visa to two adult attendants for each patient.
- Alternative treatments like Ayurveda, Naturopathy and Yoga
India has an unmatched heritage represented by its ancient traditional treatment methods such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) which are now widely accepted as alternative treatment procedures in the entire world.
- Attraction of ‘Incredible India’
India, with its ancient and modern heritage, diversities of culture and exotic destinations is always an attraction to international travellers. Medical travel offers a mix of pleasure, luxury and quality healthcare for medical patients coming to India.
Realising the immense potential that the medical tourism market offers, it is now one of the priority areas of facilitation by the government. The vision and intention of the Union Government to promote and develop India as a medical tourism hub can be gauged from the fact that presently four ministries namely Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of AYUSH along with SEPC and NABH are proactively involved.
