Medical Tourism and Hospital Services

Contents: Preface. 1. Accreditation of hospitals: sin qua non of quality. 2. Health tourism: definition, nature and scope. 3. Asian hospitals take a leap forward in health tourism. 4. Indian hospitals: destination of international patients. 5. Flow of international patients to Kerala: the wellness paradise.

Health and medical tourism is fast emerging as a big opportunity for India with its low cost advantage, high quality health care and an English speaking populace. If India makes medical tourism a success, it will spur more investment in health and hospital care, greater research and development in medical field and reversal of brain drain. This will also make India a hub of international conventions.

Visitors, especially from the west and the Middle East find Indian hospitals a very affordable and viable option. Karnataka, Andhra, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat are in the forefront of medical tourism promotion. Kerala is Gods own health paradise. However, the country would have to improve its health and hospitals care infrastructure, connectivity between major cities and streamline visa procedures for medical visitors.

If we have world-class hospitals it will benefit our own people first and then give opportunity to serve international community as well. No doubt the world is now a global village in terms of health and hospital care.

This book on Medical Tourism and Hospital Services makes an important contribution to the knowledge and existing literature in this expanding field. Besides, this would help the academicians, national health officials, public health administrations, medical research workers and the policy makers and planners in the proper understanding of health and hospital care delivery system in the context of health and medical tourism.