ATTRACTING PATIENTS
Doctors in India get a lot of queries for kidney transplants, cosmetic surgeries and ayurvedic treatments. Different hospitals have different strategies to attract patients. For instance Hiranandani Hospital boasts of its high-class infrastructure, and pre-hospitalization services that include providing cost estimates for treatment and stay, as well as assisting with arranging accommodation for relatives that accompany patients. On arrival, there is airport-to-hospital conveyance provided for the patient. These concepts follow the simple principle that an overseas traveler comes in with a perception of a hospital that can be compared to western standards. When the patient can actually see glimpses of that hospital here in India as well, they feel satisfied. These hospitals work with the different travel companies to arrange for tourism packages, hotel reservations, as well as ticketing and travel for the patients. The tourism packages usually consist of boat and backwater cruises, beach holidays, ayurveda tours and wildlife tours.
OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED
There are several agencies that are working towards organizing the health service sector and acting as a facilitator between patients and various hospitals, hotels and tour companies. They also provide advisory services to medical tourists related to their treatment and stay in the host country. While there are some agencies that focus strictly on medical tourism, there are others that have expanded their parent companies into medical tourism as well.
These agencies work in coordination with the services of consultants, hospitals, travel and transportation companies and hotels to make the experience of coming to India for healthcare completely hassle free for the tourists. It is like a chain and these are like a thread leading the entire chain. The price of such services varies depending on the kind of treatment required, what hospital and accommodation the patient chooses and whether or not they are looking for a recuperative holiday after their treatment.
THE TREATMENTS
Some of the preferred treatments include ayurvedic treatments, bone-marrow transplant, brain surgery, cancer procedures (oncology), cardiac care, cosmetic surgery, dialysis and kidney transplant, joint replacement surgery etc.
POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
The Indian government does not have a standardized policy regarding medical tourism yet, which can pose as a hurdle in the growth of the industry. The fact that there is no uniformity in accreditation makes a tourist hesitant towards coming here. Also, there is tough competition for India coming in from countries like Thailand and Singapore. India loses out on medical tourists to countries like Thailand and Bangkok, because the prices are very comparable and the destination is multi-favorable, with its good hospitals, pleasant climate and hot tourist destinations. India still is often associated with pollution, malaria, bad roads, traffic and unhygienic water. What works in favor of places like Thailand is the fact that the Thailand government works in conjunction with the healthcare industry in a public-private partnership. Also, aggressive international marketing is done in association with the tourism industry. India should work in a similar manner to shatter the image of India as a Third World country and to attract more tourists to the country.