Enrollment NO.

:01450501715

Minor Project Report

Personality Development & Communication Skills III (BBA-209)
BBA III Semester

Medical Tourism In India

Internal Guide:

Submitted By:

Dr. Preeti Tak

Himanshi Agarwal

Assistant Professor

2015-2018

Submitted To:
Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Professional Studies, Dwarka, New Delhi
(Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University)

Declaration
I hereby declare that this Minor Project Report titled Medical Tourism in
India submitted by me to Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Professional
Studies, Dwarka is a bonafide work undertaken during the period from to by
me and has not been submitted to any other University or Institution for the
award of any degree diploma / certificate or published any time before.

(Signature of the student)

Name: Himanshi Agarwal.
Enrollment No.: 01450501715.
Date: 22/9/2016.

Bonafide Certification
This is to certify that as per best of my belief the project entitled Medical
Tourism in India is the bonafide research work carried out by Himanshi
Agarwal student of BBA, BCIPS, Dwarka, New Delhi, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Minor Project Report of the Degree of Bachelor
of Business Administration.
She has worked under my guidance.
Project Guide (Internal):
Date:
Counter signed by
Director:
Date:

Acknowledgement
3

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my project guide Dr. Preeti

Tak for giving me the opportunity to work on this topic. It would never be
possible for me to take this project to this level without her innovative ideas
and her relentless support and encouragement. I would also thank my
Institution and my faculty members without whom this project would have
been a distant reality. I also extend my heartless thanks to my family and
well-wishers.

Name: Himanshi Agarwal

Enrollment No.: 01450501715

Contents
4

CONTENTS
Chapter-1 Purpose of study
1.1. Objective of the report
1.2. Scope of the study
Chapter-2 Introduction
2.1. About the industry
2.2. Services offered
2.3. Geographic Area
Chapter-3 Industry Overview
3.1. Industry Developments
3.2. Recent trends and innovations
3.3. Government Regulations
3.4. Opportunities and threats
3.5. Growth potential and problem

PAGE NO.

solving
3.6. Challenges and issues
Chapter-4 Competitor Analysis
4.1. Key players in the industry
4.2. Market share of each player
Chapter-5 Conclusion
Bibliography

Chapter-1
Purpose of the study

1.1. Objective of the project report:

The study aims at understating the concept of Medical tourism.

This research works explores opportunities, discusses its key challenges and
designing the suitable strategies for developing medical tourism in India.

1.2. Scope of the study:

The study focuses on Medical Tourism in India.

Chapter-2
Introduction

2.1. About the industry:

Medical Tourism is the concept of traveling to a particular destination to avail the
opportunity of the world class Healthcare services offered by the best experienced
Healthcare professionals at the technologically most advanced medical facilities in
complete privacy and for affordable costs. The Healthcare procedure is usually combined
with a family vacation. The concept of Medical Tourism is not a new one. The first
recorded instance of medical tourism dates back thousands of years to when Greek
pilgrims traveled from all over the Mediterranean to the small territory in the Saronic
Gulf called Epidauria. This territory was the sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios.
Epidauria became the original travel destination for medical tourism. In the recent past
patients from underdeveloped countries used to travel to the advanced industrialized
developed countries to take the benefit of advanced medical health care in the hospitals,
recently the trend is reversing. As far back as 3,000 BC, people with eye problems made
8

pilgrimage to Tell Brak, Syria, where healing deities were said to perform miracles.
Ancient Roman spas that were believed to cure an endless list of ailments still offer hope
and relief to bathers today. The World Tourism Organization includes the following in its
definition of medical tourism: medical care, sickness and well-being, rehabilitation and
recuperation. India is the land of myriad experiences and exotic locales. It is a world of
resplendent colors and rich cultural locales, be it magnificent monuments, heritage
temples or tombs. The Country's ancient cultural heritage is inextricably linked to its
technology driven present existence. The coexistence of a number of religions and
cultures, together with an awe-inspiring topography makes it the perfect place for a
complete holiday experience. The Indian medical tourism industry, growing at an annual
rate of 30 percent, caters to patients chiefly from the US, Europe, West Asia and Africa.
Although in its nascent stage, the industry is outsmarting similar industries of other
countries such as Greece, South Africa, Jordan, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. In
2006, over 1,50,000 medical tourists have visited India and is growing by 15% a year.
The medical tourism industry in India is presently earning revenues of $450 million.
Encouraged by the incredible pace of growth exhibited by the industry, the Confederation
of Indian Industry (CII) and McKinsey have predicted that the industry will grow to earn
additional revenue of $2.2 billion by 2012. India, touted as the favorite destination for
information technology majors, is currently emerging as a preferred destination for
medical or health tourism.
The medical tourism structure in India is depicted in figure 1.

2.2. Services offered to Medical Tourists:

India is known as the cradle for test tube babies and is popular for surrogacy services
(Qadeer and John 2009). Other than these, India offers hi-tech cardiac, paediatric, dental,
cosmetic and orthopaedic surgical services as well as traditional healing systems. The
medical tourism definitely does not cater to emergency services. The services provided
are largely knee joint replacement, hip replacement (mostly orthopaedic), bone marrow
10

transplant, bypass surgery, breast lump removal, haemorrhoidectomy, cataract surgery

and cosmetic surgery, etc. Hospitals also advertise for preventive health checkups for
family members accompanying the patients in addition to alternate medicine services
(Peacock 2009). This is an area that we do not expand upon.

2.3. Geographic Area:

11

12

Chapter-3
Industry Overview

3.1. Industry Developments:

Developing strategies of Medical Tourism is based on the 7 Ps of marketing mix:
Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, and Physical Evidence.
13

Product: India has a number of hospitals offering world class treatments in nearly
every medical sector such as cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, joint
replacement, orthopaedic surgery, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, transplants
and urology to name a few. The various specialties covered are Neurology,
Neurosurgery, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, ENT,
Paediatrics, Paediatric Surgery, Paediatric Neurology, Urology, Nephrology,
Dermatology, Dentistry, Plastic Surgery, Gynaecology, Pulmonology, Psychiatry,
General Medicine & General Surgery. Welltrained medical staff with international
board certification (US, UK, Australia, Germany, Japan) are considered as a
valuable asset of the companies and used as an important tool to promote
healthcare services. Moreover, the cutting-edge technology and equipment
available made by each hospital is also used as one of the major products in this
industry. Another marketing strategy used by service providers is to create more
value through services. Superior value-added services have been created to
differentiate themselves from their increasing competitors, increasing its
efficiency, creating convenience for the patients, and developing and
strengthening the customer relationships. These nonmedical care services are
services such as, on-line service for medical arrangement, travel arrangement,
interpreter services in many languages , luxury service apartments for patients
relatives adjacent to the hospital, hotel selection and reservation, sightseeing tour
services, medical transportation both on land and air, one-to-one nursing care
service, and etc. Major healthcare service providers in India have started
expanding their business to other countries by investing in and/or operating
hospitals or medical center overseas. These hospitals function as a diagnostic

center for screening cases and also for followups in medical treatments.
Price: Indias healthcare service providers have a competitive advantage among
their competitor due to its high standard of medical treatments and services
offered to the patients at a very competitive price. In India, complicated medical
procedures are being done only at one tenth of the cost in industrialized countries
but in terms of infrastructure facilities such as roads, sanitation, power backups,

14

accommodations, and public utility services much more is needed for the country

to become a medical tourism destination (Kaur et al., 2007).

Place: Internet is the main means for disseminating information related to
medical and non-medical care services offered by each of healthcare service
providers. It is the most effective and inexpensive way to reach the product to its
target customers directly, and at the same time helping patients acquire correct
and valuable information allowing them to make an informed decision.
Informative online marketing of each service provider creates awareness of the
medical treatments available and reassures potential patients. Interactive
communication, treatments description, description of services and facilities,
quality assurance other concierge services were also presented on the websites to
attract the patient who are on medical traveling program. All the healthcare
service providers generally take the help of the agents the in promoting their
medical tourism. These agents provide information and recommend the patients
regarding their treatments to the hospitals. They work as a center cooperating
between patients and hospitals for screening cases, sending all the necessary
medical reports of the patients to the hospitals. And at the same time agents have
the responsibility of advertising and doing marketing in those countries for
healthcare service providers, spreading word of mouth advertising of service

assurance and reliability.

Promotion: Most healthcare service providers in India particularly big private
hospitals participate in travel marts, travel fairs, trade fair, exhibitions, seminars,
conferences, and advertise in travel magazines in countries with the supporting
from the government. In addition, other informative materials such as brochures,
booklets, video-cds, paper bags and t-shirt with logos were also used to create
awareness of the available healthcare services as well. Moreover, some healthcare
service providers in India build up cooperation with the local institutes,
universities, medical schools in other countries to establish collaboration in
education, exchange of knowledge and training as well as to promote their
alternative healthcare services. Advertising about medical and non-medical
services in both local and international media are used by healthcare service
providers. Articles, video, news related to their high quality and standard of
15

medical treatments and services, health issues, latest medical technology

equipment, quality assurance/awards/accreditation available on their own
websites and also to the international media. These help to create awareness of the
available alternative medical treatments as well as to build up a positive image of

the high quality and international standard of medical care in India.

People: Another strategy that Indian healthcare service providers may use to
attract the international patients for their low cost treatments in India as well as to
get the medical services by its well-trained medical specialists who have qualified
from well-known overseas institutes. It is well acknowledged that having
specialized and qualified doctors and staffs gives a competitive advantage for the
hospitals. However, shortage of doctors and trained medical staff is treated as the
major concern in medical tourism in India. Moreover, due to the
misunderstanding of the patients culture are still considered as problems and

challenges for medical tourism business in India.

Process: International patients who seek medical treatments are mostly concerned
with the quality of treatments and also want that the service providers preferably
be accredited by a recognized international organization that audits medical
quality. India has a large pool of doctors (approx 6,00,000), nurses and
paramedics with required specialization and expertise and the language advantage
(English speaking skills). The medical education system caters to the ever
increasing demand for the delivery of the quality health care services all over the
country. The Joint Commission International (JCI) recognizes and accredits that
the standard of the hospital meets or exceeds the standard of medical facilities as
compared to the west. India is a popular destination for medical tourists. (Iyer, M.,

2004).
Physical Evidence: In India, big hospitals like Apollo Hospitals, Escorts
Hospital, Wockhardt Hospitals, Breach Candy Hospitals Lilavati Hospital,
Manipal Hospitals, Mallya Hospital, AMRI Hospitals etc. have a good ambience
in their infrastructures with spacious, luxury rooms and excellent amenities same
as that of a five star hotel for patients and relatives, and also are equipped with
cutting-edge technology. This is a competitive advantage of India in order to gain
16

the confidence and build up the trust of international patients, making a decision
to choose India as their preferred choice.

3.2. Recent trends and innovations:

Health tourism is playing an important role in the tourism market since the 18th
century. It is a basket of services to patient-tourists who want their medical treatments
done in foreign countries. Medical tour offers them savings, quality, immediate
services, convenience and travel opportunities. This sector has huge potential for
future growth.
Currently, the global medical tourism industry stands at an estimated value of over
US$ 60 Billion and is expected to exceed over US$ 100 Billion over the next two
17

years. This industry is experiencing an exciting phase where international and

national activities are taking place to boost the health sector. In recent years, India,
Thailand, Singapore and
Malaysia have become preferred destinations with medical expertise and travel
destinations to enjoy medical vacation.
The reason behind travelling for medical purposes is low cost services available in the
Asian countries. Apart from this, hospitals are providing high quality and professional
treatments. The hospitals are going for accreditation programs to maintain their
standards as provided in hospitals of the US and UK that has become the main reason
for people to look abroad for medical healthcare.
A new trend has been seen with medical patients to visit abroad for alternate system
of medicine. This led to the emergence of Yoga, Ayurveda and Naturopathy as the
most demanding choices for renewal of body, mind and spirit with medical treatment.
Other segments, which are source of attraction in the medical tourism industry, are
knee replacement surgery, cosmetic surgery, laser treatments and weight loss. One of
the emerging segments is genetically engineered babies that gained the attention of
parents to have babies according to their wish.
Looking at the future growth of this sector, private companies, hospitals, travel agents
and insurance agents are also putting in efforts to offer best packages at competitive
low price with quality services to attract medical tourist.

18

3.3. Government Regulations:

The role of facilitators needs to be defined and regularized by the government to
promote transparency in the Indian medical tourism industry:

The facilitation of medical tourism in India is disorganized and middlemen/

facilitators play an important role in the value chain. This creates a scope for
corruption which could lead to inflated costs that are eventually borne by the

patient.
There is a need to streamline this process and help curtail the unethical
practice of unreasonable monitory commissions demanded by such

facilitators.
The government can provide guidelines and help regularize the role of
middlemen/facilitators in channelizing medical tourists toward the country to
19

make the treatment more cost effective for tourists. One way of achieving
some transparency may be via nodal bodies at the state level recognized/
authenticated by the government. These bodies can serve as an authentic go-to

system for potential medical tourists.

Central government can also promote and help regulate facilitators cadre. The

registered facilitators can support medical tourists.

This can also enhance transparency of the system and promote India as a

credible destination for healthcare delivery.

Benefits under the market development assistance scheme: Medical tourism
service providers (including representatives of hospitals accredited by JCI and
NABH, and medical tourism facilitators i.e. travel agents/tour operators), who
are approved by the Ministry of Tourism, receive fiscal support under the

Market Development Assistance Scheme (MDA).

Separate category of visa: In order to attract a large quantum of medical
tourists, the government has introduced a separate category of medical visa:
M-visa. This visa can be extended for additional 12 months beyond the one
year issue period. A no-hindrance-clearance has been provided for medical

tourists at the airports.

Improving the quality of services: For the accreditation of hospitals, the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has set up a National Accreditation

Board for Hospitals, under the Ministry of Commerce.

Tourism circuits: The new governments manifesto includes plans to build 50
tourism circuits, along with a medical circuit connecting hubs of modern
medicine and ayurveda.

20

3.4. Opportunities and Threats:

Opportunities:
India has many advantages. The first and the foremost is cost advantage. Then, it has
many hospitals equipped with international standards. Most of Indian doctors and other
medical staff have world class exposure and are fluent in English which is connecting
language globally. India also has a whole lot of natural solutions to health like Ayurveda,
and Sidha. It has many exotic tourist spots. Many medical tourists have already chosen
India as their destination for treatments. They to some extent help the country to promote
itself as a business and tourism destination. India should use these opportunities and
make more efforts to advertise these advantages and attract more medical tourists.
India is one of the fast growing nations in the world. Perceived as a service hub across the
globe, India has attracted a large number of global companies to set up their base in India.
This has already resulted in increased flow of business travel. The medical tourism
industry should take this opportunity to attract medical tourists and popularize wellness
system in the country such that more and more FTAs could use them.

21

Doctors in western part of the world are increasingly prescribing Indian system of natural
healing and medicine to their patients.9 This will make many foreign patients to choose
India for treatments. In olden days, people used to travel to USA to get advanced medical
treatment. Now the reverse is happening. IT boom and cheaper flights make people to
choose alternate health destinations for treatment.
Fast paced life style increases demand for wellness tourism and alternative cures.Health
insurance in country like USA covers only critical care and not cosmetic care and beauty
treatments. For those who seek cosmetic/beauty treatments choose low cost destinations
like India.
Soaring medical costs, high insurance premiums, long waiting lists, large number of
uninsured/under insured and insured in many advance nations force people in those
nations to be medical tourists. Insurance companies and employers also prefer to send
patients to India in order to reduce health care expenses. Large Indian community living
abroad also makes use of significant part of medical tourism in India.
In Japan, USA, UK and many other European nations, the proportion of elder people has
increased rapidly. At the same time, life expectancy has also increased steadily. The
combined result is: significant demand for natural healthcare system. Inability of many
healthcare systems drives many individuals to seek alternative to domestic healthcare.
Demand from countries with underdeveloped healthcare capacities also increases.
The main opportunity presented by medical tourism is its contribution to the growth of
health economies. It is a major source for foreign exchange and stimulates economic
growth in other sectors including tourism, transport, pharmaceuticals, hotels, food
suppliers to hospitals and restaurants. The labor intensive nature of the tourism industry
makes it an excellent generator of employment. Medical tourism and the competition on
the global health market promote technological advances and improved medical
infrastructure.
It may stem brain drain. NRIs may return as they find medical sector in India more
lucrative than before. Modern hospitals that make significant investment in facilities and
staff, in part to compete for international patients, now also provide the benefits and
22

working conditions to satisfy the aspirations of medical professionals who would

otherwise move outside the country (UNESCAP, 2007). Greater competition from
private sector may force changes in public sector health systems in the country.

There are 63 NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals) approved hospitals in
India and 395 hospitals have also applied for NABA accreditation. Majority of population
speak English. Most of doctors and medical staff have world class exposure and fluency
in English.8 While India has some of the best (world class) medical procedures, it offers a
whole lot of natural solutions to health-Ayurveda, Sidha, Unani, Yoga, Acupuncture,
Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Aroma therapy, Herbal Oil massage, etc. India offers
significant savings to the foreign patients. For almost all treatments, India has cost
advantages. Its price is the lowest among any nation in the world (see Table 3.1).
Threats:

No strong government support / initiative to promote medical tourism.

Low Coordination between the various players in the industry airline operators,

hotels and hospitals.

Customer Perception as an unhygienic country.
No proper accreditation and regulation system for hospitals.
Lack of uniform pricing policies across hospitals.
Strong competition from countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore.
23

Lack of international accreditation.

Overseas medical care not covered by insurance providers.
Under-investment in health infrastructure.

3.5. Growth Potential and Problem Saving:

The countries where medical tourism is being actively promoted include Greece, South
Africa, Jordan, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. India is a recent entrant into
medical tourism. According to a study by McKinsey and the Confederation of Indian
Industry, medical tourism in India could become a $1 billion business by 2012. The
report predicts that: "By 2012, if medical tourism were to reach 25 per cent of revenues
of private up-market players, up to Rs 10,000 crore will be added to the revenues of these
players". The Indian government predicts that India's $17-billion-a-year health-care
industry could grow 13 per cent in each of the next six years, boosted by medical tourism,
which industry watchers say is growing at 30 per cent annually. In India, the Apollo
group alone has so far treated 95,000 international patients, many of whom are of Indian
origin. Apollo has been a forerunner in medical tourism in India and attracts patients from
Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The group has tied up with hospitals in
Mauritius, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Yemen besides running a hospital in Sri Lanka, and
managing a hospital in Dubai. Another corporate group running a chain of hospitals,
Escorts, claims it has doubled its number of overseas patients - from 675 in 2000 to
nearly 3000 this year. Recently, the Ruby Hospital in Kolkata signed a contract with the
British insurance company, BUPA. The management hopes to get British patients from
the queue in the National Health Services soon. Some estimates say that foreigners
account for 10 to 12 per cent of all patients in top Mumbai hospitals despite roadblocks
like poor aviation connectivity, poor road infrastructure and absence of uniform quality
standards. Analysts say that as many as 150,000 medical tourists came to India last year.
However, the current market for medical tourism in India is mainly limited to patients
from the Middle East and South Asian economies. Some claim that the industry would
flourish even without Western medical tourists. Afro-Asian people spend as much as $20
billion a year on health care outside their countries - Nigerians alone spend an estimated
$1 billion a year. Most of this money would be spent in Europe and America, but it is
24

hoped that this would now be increasingly directed to developing countries with
advanced facilities. Promotion of Medical Tourism. The key "selling points" of the
medical tourism industry are its "cost effectiveness" and its combination with the
attractions of tourism. The latter also uses the ploy of selling the "exotica" of the
countries involved as well as the packaging of health care with traditional therapies and
treatment methods. Price advantage is, of course, a major selling point. The slogan, thus
is, "First World treatment' at Third World prices". The cost differential across the board is
huge: only a tenth and sometimes even a sixteenth of the cost in the West. Open-heart
surgery could cost up to $70,000 in Britain and up to $150,000 in the US.
India stands out for the size and dynamism of its services sector (Government of India,
2012). The share of services in Indias GDP at factor cost is nearly 65 percent. During
1990-91 to 2011-12, the GDP (factor cost) at 2004-05 prices grew at an average rate of
6.6 percent while the services GDP grew at 8.04 percent. Except in two years (1994-95
and 1996-97), services grew faster than GDP (see Chart 1.1). Interestingly for the last
nine years (2003-04 to 2011-12), the GDP at factor cost (real) grew at 8.2 percent per
annum while the services GDP grew at 9.6 percent. Thus, one of the striking aspects of
Indias recent growth has been the dynamism of the services, particularly IT and ITES (IT
enabled services). The medical tourism industry is poised to be the next big success story
in India after IT (software).

25

Against this backdrop, this study attempts to analyze:

the trends in foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India and foreign exchange

earnings from them.

the factors favoring the growth of medical tourism in India, including the

initiatives of government and industry.

the opportunities available for India to make further progress and (vi) the
challenges facing the industry.

26

3.6. Challenges and Issues:

The challenges facing Indian medical tourism industry are as follows:

No strong Government support/initiative to promote medical tourism.

Lack of coordination among various players in the industry-airline operators,

hotels and hospitals.

The negative perceptions about India with regard to public sanitation/ hygiene

standards or prevalence of contagious diseases.

No proper accreditation and regulation system for hospitals.
Lack of uniform pricing policy across hospitals.
Strong competitions from many other players.
Lack of insurance policies for this sector.
Low investments in health infrastructure.
Growth generates healthcare challenges in booming India. The country graduates
27,000 doctors each year but most want to work in cities. But millions must walk

miles to see a physician.

Inequalities in healthcare access between private and public systems may

increase.
This may induce domestic brain drain from public to private sector.
Indian Governments campaign to make India a primary medical tourism
destination may divert attention from primary healthcare and other sectors.

27

Availability of hotel rooms in India is considered to be more difficult as compared

to other countries. In addition, the cost of accommodation is another hindrance to

middle-level international travelers visiting India.

Public-Private Partnership is required to provide quality services to attract
potential healthcare seekers from various countries.

Chapter-4
Competitor Analysis
28

4.1.

Key players in the Industry:

Apollo Hospitals:
It is an Indian hospital chain based in Chennai, India. It was founded by Dr
Prathap C. Reddy in 1983 and has hospitals in India, Bangladesh, Kuwait and
Qatar. Several of the group's hospitals have been among the first in India to
receive international healthcare accreditation by America-based Joint
Commission International (JCI).The group has developed services in
telemedicine, after starting a pilot project in 2000 in Pratap Reddy's home
village.

Fortis Healthcare:
Fortis Healthcare Limited is a chain of super speciality hospitals in India. It
has its hospitals in Delhi, Amritsar, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, Mohali, Ludhiana,
Jaipur, Chennai, Kota, Bengaluru, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad, Mumbai, and
Odisha. Fortis Healthcare is internationally recognized by JCI (Joint
Commission International, U.S.A) and NABH (National Accreditation Board
for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers, India) for its quality of healthcare. On
12 March 2010, Fortis Healthcare bought a 23.9% stake in Singapore's
Parkway Holdings Ltd. Fortis sold its stake to Malaysia's Khazanah National
on 27 July 2010. On 29 May 2012, Fortis Healthcare reported an increase of
41.34% in the consolidated net profit for the fourth quarter.
Manipal Health Systems:
Manipal Hospitals, a part of the Manipal Education and Medical Group
(MEMG) is a chain of multi-specialty hospitals spread across 6 states in India.
Being the third largest healthcare network in India with a network of 15
hospitals, Manipal Hospitals serves more than 2 million patients annually.
Medanta Medicity:
29

Medanta - The Medicity is one of India's largest and most prestigious multisuper specialty medical institutes. Spread across 43 acres in Gurgaon NCR
and houses 1,250 beds and over 350 critical care beds, with 45 operation
theatres, the hospital was founded in 2009 by renowned cardiovascular and
cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Naresh Trehan and is located in Gurgaon, which is
part of the National Capital Region. Primarily known as an institute
specializing in cardiology, presently Medanta has 32 institutions, departments
and division that cater to over 20 specialities. Adhering to NABH standards,
the hospital is as of 2013 accredited by ISQua (International Society for
Quality in Healthcare), NABL, and JCI.
Lilavati Hospital:
Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre is a private hospital located at Bandra
in Mumbai, India, established by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust in
1978. At present under the team of favorable trustees including Prabodh
Kirtilal Mehta, Chetan Prabodh Mehta, Rashmi Kirtilal Mehta, Rekha Haresh
Sheth, Sushila Vijay Mehta, Charu Kishor Mehta, Niket Vijay Mehta, Bhavin
Rashmi Mehta, Nanik Rupani, S. Lakshminarayanan, IAS and K.K Modi; the
Lilavati Hospital has been rewarded with several esteemed awards and
accreditations.

Jaslok Hospitals:
Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre was founded in the early 1970s by
philanthropist Seth Lokoomal Chanrai. Shantilal Jamnadas Mehta, the doyen
of the medical profession in India, was the one who translated Seth Lokoomal
Chanrai's vision into reality. Jaslok Hospital is located at Dr. G. Deshmukh
Marg., Peddar Road, South Mumbai, overlooking the Arabian Sea. The name
Jaslok was derived from the names of Seth Lokoomal and his wife, Smt.
Jasotibai.
Bombay Hospitals:
Bombay Hospital aka BHMRC (Bombay Hospital and Medical Research
Centre - Mumbai) is a private hospital in Mumbai, India. It was founded in
1950 by R. D. Birla. It has 830 beds, 110 of which are in the critical care and
recovery area. It has 22 operating theatres, 3,200 full-time employees, 240
eminent consultants and 200 resident doctors. In the R D Birla International
30

Cardiac Centre associated with Bombay Hospital, there are 4 dedicated

operation theatres, 2 cath labs where 1,800 surgeries and 4,000
angiographies/angioplasties are conducted each year. The department of
neurosurgery and neurology also has 4 dedicated operation theatres. The
department of orthopaedics has 5 dedicated operation theatres.
Max Hospitals:
Max Healthcare Institute is a healthcare institute based in New Delhi, India.
The Institute is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Max India Limited.
Established in 1985, Max India Limited is a Public Limited company listed in
the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India with more
than 37,000 shareholders. The institute operates eleven centers in Delhi, NCR
and neighboring Punjab region, providing health care services in more than 30
disciplines. The company provides patient services including nuclear medicine
and cardiac imaging, labs, scans, interventional cardiology, cardiac pacing and
electrophysiology, neurosciences, orthopedics, gynecology and obstetrics,
pediatrics, cancer care, kidney transplant, bone marrow transplant, maternity
services, diagnostic services, pediatric ophthalmology, neurophthalmology,
internal medicine, general surgery, urology, nephrology, gastroenterology,
mental health and behavioral sciences, rehabilitative services, and
pulmonology.

31

Chapter-5
Conclusion

The medical tourism is an outsourcing medical services primarily expensive surgery to

low cost countries. It offers financial value for growing burden of the costs in matured
markets like USA. It also provides an alternative for millions of uninsured people to
receive affordable and accessible medical services from developing countries.

32

India is an important player in this industry as it has many advantages. Its cost is the
lowest in the world. It has many internationally accredited hospitals. Most of its doctors
and medical staff have world class exposure and fluency in English. In addition, it is rich
in cultural heritage and has innumerable tourist attractions. It also offers a wide variety of
alternative medicines. In 2010, there were 7,50,000 medical tourists in India. The foreign
exchange earnings from this sector was around US $ 1068 million.
This sector is expected to grow exponentially due to external as well as internal factors.
The external forces are: soaring medical costs, high insurance premiums, long waiting
lists, large number of uninsured/under insured and insured in many advance nations. The
internal factors are: availability of high quality medical professionals and medical staff,
large number of world class hospitals and infrastructure, government promotion, tax
concession etc. Estimates indicate that the number of medical tourists in India will
increase to 2.8 million and the exchange earnings will rise to US $ 3964 million in 2015.
Lack of regulation in the healthcare system, lack of coordination among various players
in the industry (airline operators, hotels and hospitals), unethical profession behavior,
competitions from many other players, low investments in health infrastructure,
increasing inequalities in healthcare access between private and public systems, and
domestic brain drain from public to private sector are the major challenges facing this
sector.

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Dawn, S. K., & Pal, S. (2011). Medical tourism in India: issues, opportunities and designing
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