The world´s most populous country is also one of its richest in terms of what it has to offer visitors on all fronts - culture, history, cuisine, natural attractions, and much more. And apart from all that, India has also become one of the top ten countries visited by foreigners for healthcare, thanks to its modern medical infrastructure and technology; talented physicians; prices for procedures which are among the world´s lowest; minimal wait times; and widespread fluency in English. Hospitals specializing in international patients such as the Apollo (top) and Fortis (below) chains tend to a wide range of medical needs; from complex surgeries (including organ transplants) to cancer care to plastic surgery to liposuction to wellness treatment such as India's own ancient medicine modality Ayurveda., which dates back to 8000 BCE. Top medical-tourism destinations here include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru (Bangalore), Chennai (Madras), Kochi (Cochin, in Kerala state), Mumbai, (Bombay), and New Delhi.
Additional Services Which Attract Medical Tourists
Visa Assistance: Help with visa application, and all necessary documentation for travel planning and easy traveling. It is easy for foreign patients to apply for a visa as they need a visa invitation letter to apply.
In addition, the Indian government also has a medical visa policy which allows patients and even blood relatives accompanying them to stay for 60 days
Language Assistance: In addition to a high level of English proficiency in the Indian medical system, many practitioners also speak other languages and offeri interpreters to ensure smooth communication between healthcare practitioners and international patients.
Cultural Sensitivity Training: Staff members are trained to appreciate the different cultural practices and norms beyond India, creating a friendly climate for patients from various cultural backgrounds.
Customized Packages: Comprehensive deals combine medical therapies, accommodation, touring, and spa services, enabling patients to customize their journey as best suits their desires and budgets.
Follow-up Telemedicine Services: The provision of virtual consultations and follow-up appointments for international patients ensures that they continue to stay in contact with their healthcare providers in their countries of residence.
Transportation Assistance: Medical tourism practitioners usually provide transfers from and to airports to ease the arrival and departure of medical tourists, and in some cases within the cities in which they are located.
Comprehensive Health Check-up Packages: These focus on patients’ preventive and wellness needs, allowing them to implement the medical treatments, as well as the whole/body health performance assessments.
What Medical Tourism Providers Should Keep in Mind
Investment in Technology: Medical tourists are attracted to the world-class facilities so you need to focus on the infrastructures and services that you are planning to provide to these international tourists. Creating an app is one of the best things to provide better accessibility to the services provided by the hospital.
Strong Online Presence: The websites and blogs which are created by the medical tourism companies should be user-friendly and easy to understand. You should update the latest information on the website regularly and a live chat feature can also be added to interact with patients easily. You should be active on social media platforms and you can also invest in paid promotion of your web page through the social media platform.
Strong Collaboration: For medical tourism, you’ll need a team effort. Investing in collaborating with hospitality partners and international health representative officials is one of the best options.
Comments
I´ve always found this topic intriguing but I have physician friends who warn against it, arguing not so much that there´s a problem with quality of care but that if there are follow-up complications once you´re back home, you could end up stuck. It´s a scary prospect.