With India’s market for medical value tourism expected to touch the $9 billion mark by 2020, hospitals and tour and hospitality stakeholders are coming up with innovative products.
A report released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Ernst & Young titled ‘India: Building Best Practices in Healthcare Services Globally 2019’, the rising costs of health care in developed countries such as the US and the UK will make India an affordable alternative in the coming years. The country is one of the preferred destinations for Medical Value Travel (MVT) as it occupies the fifth position among 41 major medical tourism destinations, as per Medical Tourism Index Overall ranking, 2016, the report said.
The easing of visa norms for foreigners has also helped pave the way for MVT sector.
In an effort to exploit this emerging opportunity, KIMS Health care group in association with Citrine Hospitality has launched KIMS Health First, India’s First Medical value travel product in Trivandrum recently, with the objective of promoting medical tourism in Kerala.
Dr. M.I. Sahadullah, Chairman, KIMS Healthcare group, released the product by handing it over to Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram, President, Kerala Travel Mart Society.
The medical tourism product will encourage international tourists visiting Kerala to go to KIMS Hospital for a comprehensive medical checkup at less than one-tenth of the price that is offered in hospitals in the United Kingdom or in Europe. Even as an international tourist plans a holiday in southern Kerala, he or she can book for the medical check-ups including full body check-up, ultra sound scans, ECS and other basic check-ups.
Dr.Sahadullah said that by disseminating the fact that good treatment can be had at cost effective rates would boost medical tourism to Kerala which would also augment the health sector in the state.
According to Mr. Prasad Manjali, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Citrine Hospitality Ventures, the company along with KIMS has initiated a number of marketing activities in the UK, Europe, the GCC countries and many African countries to promote Medical Value Travel to Kerala.
The product is now available in all sources markets of Kerala’s tourism sector.
Citrine Hospitality Ventures also plans to tie up with other hospitals as part of augmenting operations.
Among others Mr.Sudheesh, the patron of Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association and managing director of Seaface Hotel, Kovalam, Mr.Chandrasenan, patron and founder of South Kerala Hoteliers Federation and managing director of Pankaj Hotel, Mr. Manoj, secretary of South Kerala Hoteliers Federation, Mr. Narayanan, managing director, Poovar Island Resort, Mr.Sanjeev, secretary ATTOI and Mr. Jerry Philip, CEO, KIMS, were present during the ceremony.
On November 27, 2014, the Government of India introduced the Electronic Travel Authorisation which first became available for citizens of 40 countries and was called ETA. On April 1, 2017, the electronic authorisation was renamed eVisa and has three subcategories: tourist, business and medical.
The e-Medical visa is a short term visa granted for medical treatment reasons.
According to the report ‘India: Building Best Practices in Healthcare Services Globally 2019’, India hosts around five lakh medical value travellers annually from different source countries. Major markets for India are the South-East Asian countries, the Middle-East, Africa and SAARC countries. More than 50 percent of medical travellers coming into India are from Bangladesh.
The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) to India on a medical visa has been on the rise over the past few years. The average growth rate has been around 55 percent, and it is expected to be maintained in the coming years.
Affordability of treatment is a key factor that puts India higher up on the list of destination choices among medical tourists. When compared to medical care and treatment in the Western countries, people can save up to as much as 50 percent. India has 38 hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which is considered to be a leading authority on global health care practices. It also has 619 hospitals accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). Also, the post-operative mortality rate in India is around 1.4 percent as opposed to 1.9 percent in countries like the US, as per the report.
A short-duration e-visa has been introduced, with one-month validity, at a cost of$25. And the regular $80 e-visa, which was valid for one year, has been increased to five years with multiple entries.
