MANISHA DHINGRA DISSECTS A CAREER IN MEDICAL TOURISM — AN INDUSTRY THAT EMPLOYS A WIDE RANGE OF PROFESSIONALS FROM DOCTORS TO INTERPRETERS
Consider the numbers. Last year, more than
1,50,000 overseas patients availed of medical treatment in Indian hospitals.
The medical tourism industry in India is worth $333 million (Rs 1,450 crore),
while a study by CII-McKinsey estimates that the country could earn Rs 5,000 to
Rs 10,000 crore by 2012.
The idea
The concept is simple enough. And should
come as no surprise to those familiar with the Business Process Outsourcing
(BPO) boom. India's cutting-edge yet affordable facilities in the healthcare
sector, combined with our tradition of alternative medicine, clubbed with the
many tourist delights on offer, make the country an ideal setting for
international patients to seek treatment and visit, both at the same time.
Why India?
The cause behind this boom is not hard to
find. A liver transplant costs in the range of Rs 60 to 70 lakhs in Europe and
double that in the US, but some Indian hospitals can do it for around Rs 15 to
20 lakhs. Similarly, if a heart surgery in the US costs about Rs 20 lakhs, in
India it can be done for roughly Rs two lakhs. Besides, there's no dearth of
NRIs who return to their home country for medical procedures.
The smart choice
Even if you calculate the cost of flying to
India and sightseeing here, it still works out cheaper than opting for
treatment abroad.Apart from the cost, the fact that many overseas hospitals
have months-long waiting lists also drives patients here.
Cardiology and cardio-thoracic surgery,
joint replacement, orthopaedic surgery, gastroenterology, ophthalmology,
transplants, urology, cosmetic surgery, infertility treatment, knee, hip, spine
and heart surgery, dental care, eye care, and so on are just some of the
procedures for which India is preferred.
"Being a superspecialty healthcare provider, most of Wockhardt's international patients come for life-saving
tertiary procedures like heart surgery, joint replacements, hip resurfacing and
spine surgery," says Chennai-based Vishal Bali, CEO, Wockhardt Hospitals
Group.
RECIPE
FOR SUCCESS
Delhi-based Anil Maini, president -
corporate development, Apollo Hospitals Group, states that 15% of the group's
annual revenue is contributed by international patients. "At Apollo Delhi,
we treated 12,000 foreign patients last year whereas in the Apollo Group as a
whole, the number was around 40,000," he adds.
Patients from the US, Europe and the Middle
East are increasingly putting their lives in the hands of Asian doctors. So
much so that "Singapore has constituted a Medical Tourism Board which
promotes the country as a healthcare destination," says Bali, adding,
"A few steps in that direction have been taken by the Ministry of Tourism
in India but the government's support can soon make India a highly-favoured
destination."
Bali's wishlist includes a fast-track
immigration process for international patients, with support services like an
exclusive patients travel lounge at international airports and a proactive
process of issuance of medical visas abroad.
Speaking for the tourism industry, Karan
Anand, director - contracting, Cox & Kings, Mumbai, cites, "ease of
visa procedures, pre- and post-hospitalisation support, specified accommodation
(also for persons accompanying the patients) are some of the support required
for patients." He recommends improving infrastructure capabilities and
accreditation of hospitals in India to boost growth.
"Handling insurance
claims, interpreter services are also needed," shares Dr Aashish
Contractor, head of department of Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation,
Asian Heart Institute. "On the infrastructure side, we need to have better
facilities at the airport for safe and speedy handling for patients. A smooth
visa regime. Moreover, the government needs to aggressively market the state
and its infrastructure alongwith tourism facilities,” Contractor adds.
THE PROSPECTS
The travel and tourism industry too is
gung-ho about this trend. Declining to give relevant numbers for his own firm,
Anand reveals, however, that the medical tourism market in India is supposed to
be growing at 30% per annum. While there are still no specialised departments
dedicated to the sector within travel companies, it may only be a matter of
time before this happens.
The sector is constantly throwing up job
opportunities in areas like marketing, public relations, international
insurance, travel and tourism, logistics management, back-end operations, and
many more. All in all, medical tourism will help create 40 million new jobs
over the next few years.
CAREER OPTIONS
According to Devendra Dabak, head,
international business, Asian Health Assist Worldwide, it is the peripheral
services that matter most to international patients. "From a career point
of view, there are two aspects - being a clinician and being an administrator
involved in medical tourism," he says.
The capabilities of our medical
professionals are acclaimed worldwide. "What remains to be improved is the
quality of allied services, infrastructure and hygiene that need to be
emphasised and marketed well," Dabak adds.
Today, almost all large-scale healthcare
service providers and travel agencies have tie-ups with various airlines,
hotels, car rentals, and ayurvedic spas, to offer specialised health and travel
packages to these patients. These special packages include airport pickups,
visa assistance and board and lodging, among other facilities.
GROWTH AREAS
Following are some of the areas that are
likely to witness huge growth in the coming years:
-
Marketing:
As a marketing professional, you would have
tremendous opportunities to excel in this field. Apollo markets its services
through the internet, healthcare facilitators, and personal visits to patients
abroad. For this purpose, "We employ marketing professionals, either with
healthcare experience or service industry marketing experience," shares
Maini. Here, training is provided in-house, on-the-job at various locations.
-
Linguistic services:
If you have knowledge of any foreign
language, you could try your hand at being an interpreter/ translator for such
patients. As Bali puts it, "For patients coming from n o n - E n g l i s h
- s p e a k i n g European, African and West Asian countries, translation
services are critical since they need to understand the protocols around their
medical treatment."
-
Back office operations
"The back office functions are as
demanding on talent as they are in the other service industries," says
Bali, listing good communication and interpersonal skills as the baseline
requirement to be in this sector.
-
Hospitality professionals:
While high-end clinical acumen is the
foundation for good healthcare, there is immense demand for service and
managerial talent too. Similar to the hospitality sector, healthcare is
experience and interaction-driven. Hence, anyone who is keen to be in the
hospitality field will find healthcare equally interesting.
WHAT YOU NEED
Dabak informs, "In general, a person
needs to have a flair for international business. He/ she should be well-read
and wellversed with different cultural/ demographical backgrounds and should be
able to quickly adapt to people coming from different parts of the world. Of
course, having knowledge of foreign languages or knowledge of the tourism
industry is an added advantage." There may be no specialised course in
medical tourism per se, but students in the fields of marketing, PR, travel and
tourism are gaining favour in employment with organisations offering medical
tourism.
WHAT NEXT
Apollo, for one, already has specialised
departments to handle international patients. From the time they are picked up
from the airport to when they finally return home, this department handles all
ancillary services for them.
That's the scenario at present. And with
the rise in global demand, the future holds more promise.
Needless to say, this
would mean a whole new avenue for professionals and entrepreneurs alike.Source : http://www.edtreatmentindia.com/medical-tourism-in-india.html
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