US
Another report disclosed that an estimated 750,000 Americans seek treatment abroad in 2007. It was also estimated that a million and a half Americans sought healthcare outside the US in 2008.
UK
Our estimates:
In 2006:
Source:
Medical Tourism Survey 2007 conducted by European Research Specialists on behalf of Treatment Abroad. Survey data was obtained from 132 providers of overseas treatment and medical tourism services to UK patients.
India , on the other hand, reported that about 500,000 foreign patients traveled to India for medical care in 2005 from an estimated 150,000 patients in 2002. It is estimated that the rapid growth of the medical tourism industry in India could bring in as much as $2.2 billion per year by 2012.
Why India as Medical Tourism Destination
Medical Tourism India
Medical Tourism in India is not to be ignored. Long before medical tourists from various parts of the world began seeking medical treatments like surgery and other procedures abroad, there were already yoga and meditation centers in India for medical travelers who were more inclined to alternative medicine.
Since Yoga's birth (more than 5,000 years ago), medical travelers and students have trooped to India to learn more about Yoga and other forms of alternative medicine. India gained reputation as the center of Eastern cultural, spiritual, and medicinal progress when Buddhism came along 2,500 years later. And even when Western clinical medicine became more popular and credible, India remained the best destination for alternative medicine practitioners from all over the world.
India is one of the more favorable destinations because of its infrastructure and technology which can compete with those in the United States , United Kingdom and Europe . India boasts of having some of the best hospitals and health centers in the world.
Hospitals in India can perform a complex heart operation for only 20 to 25 percent of its cost in the US . Cosmetic surgery is also becoming more popular in India because of its low cost, high quality and also because there's no waiting lists. Cosmetic surgery such as rhinoplasty, dermabrasions, chin and cheek enlargement, lip reduction, breast surgery and liposuction in India uses the latest technology in corrective procedures.
Recent newspaper reports in India revealed that over 10,000 Britons go to India every year for cosmetic surgeries like tummy tucks, breast enlargements and facelifts. The tourists can avail of these procedures for an affordable cost complete with a recuperation beach vacation. A tummy tuck can amount to 6,500 pounds in Britain but only 1,500 pounds abroad with a vacation package included.
Another report published in The New England Journal of Medicine related an account of a self-employed carpenter who was suffering from an acute mitral-valve prolapse that needed surgery. The nearest hospital approached quoted $200,000 for the expenses, half of which needed to be paid in advance. After some more research, the patient was able to find a hospital in Texas that could perform the same procedure for $40,000. Then after some more research, the patient decided to fly to New Delhi , Indi where the procedure only costs about $7,000. The surgery proved to be a success and the patient returned home with a healthy heart.
Courtesy - http://www.understanding-medicaltourism.com
