From the very beginning of time, man was associated with a concrete fact, which is immutable, as the form of the earth; the fact that his body is fragile, and even if it is carefully applied to him, he will degenerate due to old age. Therefore, in order to stay away from diseases, illnesses and, consequently, long life, he used the services of sages or charlatans (in the old days) and doctors (in our time). But with the advent of modern technology, medical science has improved, and new methods of treating diseases and illnesses have emerged. Consequently, local doctors became more able to cure diseases and began to charge accordingly. The fortress could pay, unlike the average person, who sometimes could and sometimes could not; so historically only the privileged have been able to take full advantage of the progress of the medical sciences.
This scenario began to change in 1980, when medical tourists from the west began to flock to some Latin American countries, offering affordable cosmetic, dental and other treatments. By the end of the 21st century, many other countries began offering quality health care at economic costs, and the countries leading the package were India and the countries of Southeast Asia in Thailand and Singapore. The main reasons that prompted medical workers seeking medical care to come to these countries (especially India) were: A. The quality of doctors B. The quality of medical infrastructure C. Level of performance D. No language barrier (English is the official language in India and Singapore) and E. (economic) cost. Countries with a lower exchange rate, compared with the patient’s home country, have become attractive destinations, because it actually means that the cost of treatment has decreased from anything between 30% -70%.
Healthcare Tourists who look at distant shores for quality and inexpensive treatment also come from countries where there are long lines in front of clinics (their local doctors) or there is no quality health care (in their home country). Procedures by which medical tourists usually go to foreign shores are traditional and alternative treatments (for example, naturopathy, aromatherapy, ayurveda, etc.), cardiac surgery, orthopedic surgery, organ transplantation, cosmetic surgery, and reproductive treatment (such as in vitro fertilization, surrogacy, etc.).
The reason health tourists do this, especially to India, is to use traditional and alternative therapies, such as Ayurveda and yoga (India is the birthplace of these treatments), reproductive treatment, heart surgery and organ transplantation. Chennai, one of the largest metropolitan cities in India, is often called the health capital of South and Southeast Asia because of the number of high-quality hospitals and, therefore, the availability of beds in this city. The fact that Chennai is in close proximity to the Kanchipuram silk-sari temple city and the Kanchipuram silk sari manufacturing center and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mahabalipuram Monuments Group works in its favor as hospitals often close the patient’s medical stay with some sightseeing tours . These packages are the best examples of medical tourism.
A recent report published by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and KPMG (one of the largest professional services companies in the world) called “Medical Travel Cost” that India, along with Thailand and Singapore, accounts for almost 60% of the income received by Asian countries through tourism in health care. The study showed that these countries combined the patient's medical stay along with some sightseeing tours and promoted it as a package to lure patients.
In conclusion, “Tourism in health care” is a phenomenon that not only will remain here, but will also become a great source of foreign currency for the countries that will provide these services. For now, medical professionals ensure that they provide modern treatment, excellent services and ensure its availability at the same time; their success rate will only increase in the future.
