The reasons patients travel for treatment vary.

Many medical tourists from the United States are seeking treatment at
a quarter or sometimes even a 10th of the cost at home. From Canada, it is often people who are frustrated by long
waiting times. From Great Britain, the patient can't wait for treatment by the National Health Service but also can't
afford to see a physician in private practice. For others, becoming a medical tourist is a chance to combine a tropical
vacation with elective or plastic surgery.

And more patients are coming from poorer countries such as Bangladesh where treatment may not be available.

Medical tourism is actually thousands of years old. In ancient Greece, pilgrims and patients came from all over the
Mediterranean to the sanctuary of the healing god, Asklepios, at Epidaurus. In Roman Britain, patients took the
waters at a shrine at Bath, a practice that continued for 2,000 years. From the 18th century wealthy Europeans
travelled to spas from Germany to the Nile. In the 21st century, relatively low-cost jet travel has taken the industry
beyond the wealthy and desperate.

Countries that actively promote medical tourism include Cuba, Costa Rica, Hungary, India, Israel, Jordan, Lithuania,
Malaysia and Thailand. Belgium, Poland and Singapore are now entering the field. South Africa specializes in
medical safaris-visit the country for a safari, with a stopover for plastic surgery, a nose job and a chance to see lions
and elephants.

India
India is considered the leading country promoting medical tourism-and now it is moving into a new area of "medical
outsourcing," where subcontractors provide services to the overburdened medical care systems in western countries.

India's National Health Policy declares that treatment of foreign patients is legally an "export" and deemed "eligible for
all fiscal incentives extended to export earnings." Government and private sector studies in India estimate that
medical tourism could bring between $1 billion and $2 billion US into the country by 2012. The reports estimate that
medical tourism to India is growing by 30 per cent a year.

India's top-rated education system is not only churning out computer programmers and engineers, but an estimated
20,000 to 30,000 doctors and nurses each year.

With an increasing number of foreign patients flocking to India for treatment, India could earn Rs.100 billion through
'Medical Tourism' by 2012, a study has indicated.

According to the study conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry and McKinsey consultants, last year some
150,000 foreigners visited India for treatment, with the number rising by 15 per cent a year.

With a large pool of highly trained doctors and low treatment cost, healthcare aims to replicate the Indian software
sector's success. Built on acres of land the new sleek medical centres of excellence offer developed world treatment
at developing world prices, a report in 'The Guardian' said today.
A number of private hospitals also offer packages designed to attract wealthy foreign patients, with airport-to-hospital
bed car service, in-room internet access and private chefs. Another trend is to combine surgery in India with a yoga
holiday or trip to the world famous Taj Mahal.

The report said it is not just cost but competency that is India's selling point. Naresh Trehan, who worked as a heart
surgeon in Manhattan but returned to start Escorts hospital group in India, was quoted as saying that his hospital in
Delhi completed 4,200 heart operations last year.

India eyeing share in medical tourism pie

A NICE blend of top-class medical expertise at attractive prices is helping a growing number of Indian corporate
hospitals lure foreign patients, including from developed nations such as the UK and the US.

If a liver transplant costs in the range of Rs 60 lakh-70 lakh in Europe and double that in the US, a few Indian
hospitals, such as Global in Hyderabad, have the wherewithal to do it in around Rs 15 lakh-20 lakh. Similarly, if a
heart surgery in the US costs about Rs 20 lakh, the Chennai-headquartered Apollo Hospitals Group does it in roughly
Rs 2 lakh.

As more and more patients from Europe, the US and other affluent nations with high medicare costs look for effective
options, India is pitted against Thailand, Singapore and some other Asian countries, which have good hospitals,
salubrious climate and tourist destinations.

While Thailand and Singapore with their advanced medical facilities and built-in medical tourism options have been
drawing foreign patients of the order of a couple of lakhs per annum, the rapidly expanding Indian corporate hospital
sector has been able to get a few thousands for treatment.

But, things are going to change drastically in favour of India, especially in view of the high quality expertise of medical
professionals, backed by the fast improving equipment and nursing facilities, and above all, the cost-effectiveness of
the package, said some of the hospitals Business Line spoke to.

Next big forex earner

Medical tourism is likely to be the next major foreign exchange earner for India as an increasing number of patients,
unwilling to accept long queues in Europe or high costs in the US, are travelling to the country to undergo surgery,
according to a media report.

Medical tourism is on the rise with more people from the United States, Europe and the Middle East seeking Indian
hospitals as a cheap and safe alternative, says an article in an upcoming issue of Bloomberg Markets magazine.

The report says Indian doctors are setting up what could be a medical renaissance in their country and the next great
boom for the Indian economy.

Many Indian hospitals are coming together to improve the quality of health care, boost first impressions and aiming
for $2.3 billion in annual revenue by 2012, it says.

Instead of paying $2,00,000 for a mitral valve surgery in the US, a patient could travel to India and receive the same
treatment for $6,700.

Similarly, rather than paying 15,000 pounds Sterling for hip resurfacing in the UK, a patient can get the same
procedure for 5,000 pounds in India, including surgery, airfare and hotel stay, the magazine says.

Would you do it? Has a cheaper workforce enabled India to compete in a field many thought could never flourish in
that country? These are the questions many people throughout the world have been asking themselves, and
increasingly the answer is yes, Bloomberg Markets says.

indian business : industry : tourism : India gears up ...

Medical insurance is seen as the fastest growing segment in the Indian economy, says Supriya Saxena

A recent outcome of the privatisation of health services in India has been the growth of medical tourism to the extent
that this sector is perceived as a fast-growing segment of the economy. India is a recent entrant into this industry and
is expected to become a $2-billion business by 2012.

The driving force behind medical tourism is its cost effectiveness and the possibility of attracting substantial tourism
revenue. Medical care, packaged with traditional therapies like yoga, meditation, ayurveda, allopathy, and other
traditional systems of medicines, attract high-end tourists especially from European countries and the Middle East.

Kerala has pioneered health and medical tourism in India. But low- cost treatment is the ultimate factor weighing in
favour of India. Medical care costs only one-fifth of the costs in the West. So if a particular surgery costs $30,000 in
the West, it would cost only $6,000 in India.

India has gained acceptance in areas of medical care such as organ transplant, knee replacement, open-heart
surgery and others because of the efforts of the corporate sector in the medical as well as tourism industry. The
state-of-the-art equipment and well-qualified practitioners at these hospitals is what attract patients from other
countries.

It is estimated that foreigners account for about 12 per cent of all patients in top hospitalsof Mumbai, like Lilavati,
Jaslok, Breach Candy, Bombay Hospital, Hinduja Hospital, Apollo and Wockhardt.