11 Feb, Dr.Avnish Jolly :In a shot-in-the-arm for healthcare tourism, thetourism ministry is planning to extend its market developmentassistance (MDA) scheme to cover Joint Commission International (JCI) and NationalAccreditation Board (NABH) certified hospitals. A policy announcement thiseffect is likely very soon.
The MDA scheme offsets overseas marketing costsfor travel companies earning foreign exchange. By opening up the MDA, hospitalgroups will be made eligible for financial assistance, includingpublicity through printed material, travel and stay expenses forsales-cum-study tours and participation fees for trade fairs andexhibitions, subject to an upper ceiling.
"The MDA scheme for medical tourism is underactive consideration and will apply only to accredited hospitals. It should befinalised within a week," tourism ministry director Dr Prabhakar Dubey said.There are about 60 accredited hospitals in India, of which the biggroups have independently facilitated tie-ups with US-based insurancecompanies such as Bluecross Blueshield and Anthem Wellpoint but smallerplayers have relied on agents due to high costs.
According to Pradeep Thukral, Group Head-InternationalMarketing, Apollo Hospitals, "The ministry is prompting allplayers to form a government-industry partnership on the lines ofNasscom to strengthen the Indian healthcare brand overseas. Efforts will bemade to launch uniform pricing bands and to combine medical packages withtravel products.The potential for forex earnings through this route ishuge. On an average, a medical traveller spends about $7,000 as opposedto a holiday traveler who spends $3000," Mr Thukral added.
"With the change in global dynamics, it isthe right time for the government to provide impetus to this industry and to learnfrom countries like Singapore and Thailand, which have participatedwith hospitals to draw patients
A study by global consultancy Deloitte pegs theglobal market for medical tourism at $60 billion. India received anestimated 4,50,000 medical tourists in 2007, double the volumes registered in2005, offering services at one-fifth the costs of developed nations.
Analysts expect the industry, which is growing atan annual rate of 44%, to get a boost from this move as it will help developbusiness linkages.
where is the info of poorly done surgeries? We had a surgery done in Mumbai that if it was done in the USA we would have filed a malpractice suit!