| Health is vital for ethical, artistic, | | | | Visa (M) of longer duration (up to 1 year) |
| material and spiritual development of man. It | | | | for persons. Patients are also provided Visa |
| is very certain that of all the gains, the | | | | (MX) for their accompanying spouse coming to |
| gains of health are the highest and the best. | | | | India for Medical Treatment. New terms such |
| Traveling abroad for treatment has been an | | | | as such as health tourism, health care |
| age-old practice. In ancient Greece, pilgrims | | | | outsourcing and medical back office support |
| and patients came from all over the | | | | have gained good popularity in the |
| Mediterranean to the sanctuary of the healing | | | | nation.Medical tourism in India is a business |
| god, Asklepios, at Epidaurus. There were | | | | that has been estimated to be worth $2 |
| spiritual values attached to traveling for | | | | billion by 2012. What has been termed as |
| getting cured in ancient times that only a | | | | "International Patient Care" is already |
| few of the privileged lot could afford. With | | | | gaining pace in the nation. Private health |
| the passage of time and the ease of | | | | care units are constantly improvising their |
| traveling, people have started traveling | | | | health infrastructure and attracting a |
| offshore in search of faster, cheaper and | | | | regular stream of international patients by |
| safer surgical procedures.Relatively new to | | | | appending alluring benefits to their package. |
| the oriental part of the globe, medical | | | | This seems quite reasonable given the rising |
| tourism has been an age old phenomena in the | | | | costs of treatment in western countries along |
| West and has been supported by | | | | with increasing demands of an ageing |
| highly-developed indigenous health care | | | | population. Costs of advanced surgeries in |
| systems and constant improvements in | | | | India are 10-15 times lower than anywhere in |
| technology. By upgrading the technology, | | | | the world that attracts patients from abroad |
| gaining greater familiarity with latest | | | | to avail a host of arrangements at an easily |
| medical protocols and improving the image in | | | | affordable rate. A typical package includes |
| terms of quality and cost, the health-care | | | | air travel, local transportation, translation |
| industry in countries like India and Thailand | | | | services, air-conditioned five-star |
| are attracting a global clientele to emerge | | | | accommodation for the patient and also for |
| as a top medical-tourism destinations.In a | | | | accompanying spouse or relative in many |
| country as diverse as India, the health care | | | | cases, together with their personalized |
| industry has capitalized on its rich cultural | | | | choice of global cuisine.From less than |
| resource and glorious past. In sharp contrast | | | | 10,000 patients visiting India for medical |
| to the generally impoverished economical | | | | treatment five years ago, the market of |
| background, there are private health care | | | | medical tourism in India has taken a great |
| centers that offer sophisticated medical | | | | leap in recent years. It is now worth US$ 333 |
| services, comparable to and at times even | | | | million, with about 100,000 foreign patients |
| better than those offered by developed | | | | coming in every year. India is well |
| countries. A recent market study forecasts a | | | | positioned to tap the top end of the global |
| growth from US$ 18.7 billion to around US$ 45 | | | | healthcare industry because of the facilities |
| billion - equivalent to 8.5 per cent of GDP | | | | and services it offers and by leveraging the |
| by 2012. India has emerged as the leading | | | | brand equity of Indian healthcare |
| country promoting medical tourism.India's | | | | professionals across the globe. "A global |
| health care industry along with its IT and | | | | healthcare destination" is what even the |
| tourism sector has helped it move into the | | | | government is planning to brand the nation |
| economic renaissance. It is poised to become | | | | and is making economic policies in that |
| a major driver of economic growth as | | | | direction.Christine is an expert Internet |
| first-world patients, driven out of their own | | | | market professional with years of experience |
| systems by high costs and crowded conditions, | | | | in various industries such as: Business, |
| look for cheaper places for medical care. The | | | | Finance, Real Estate, Web-Design, Health & |
| Government of India provides Tourist Visa of | | | | Medicine and many more. |
| short duration and a special Medical Tourism | | | | |