Medical Value Travel

Why in news?

India hosted ‘One Earth One Health - Advantage Health Care-India 2023’ summit at New Delhi to promote Medical value travel in India.

What is ‘One Earth One Health - Advantage Healthcare India 2023’ program?

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry has co-branded the 6th edition of One Earth One Health - Advantage Healthcare India 2023 with India’s G20 Presidency.
• The event will emphasize the importance of global collaborations and partnerships for building resilient global health architecture.
• It is a two-day event is to showcase India as the new hub of Medical Value Travel and its emergence as a major hub for world-class healthcare, wellness services and medical tourism.
• It also aims to highlight India’s significance in medical potential and create and explore opportunities for healthcare collaborations between the participating countries.

What is medical tourism?

• Medical tourism also known as medical value travel (MVT) is the practice of travelling across international borders seeking medical services, mainly elective or complex surgeries.
• Stakeholders in medical tourism include airlines, hospitals, wellness centers and hotels among others.
• Currently, the most sought-after destination for medical value travel is Canada.

NITI Aayog estimates that the Indian economy could earn an additional USD 9 billion by 2026 from MVT and wellness tourism.

Why is India a preferred MVT destination?

• Trained and experienced doctors - The doctors in India are more experienced compared to rest of the world.
• Well trained nurses - According to Ministry of Tourism website, India has 1000 recognized nurses-training centers with 10,000 nurses graduating annually.
• India’s traditional medical - Such as ayurveda, yoga & naturopathy and other traditional systems of medicine are considered best for the treatment of various ailments, promoting wellness tourism.
• Low cost of treatment - The treatment in India is very low compared with the other countries.
• The cancer treatments are 65-90% cheaper rates when compared to US, Europe, Australia or even Singapore.
• 200 types of medical services - India offers over 200 types of medical services ranging from fertility treatments to skincare.
• Others - Cost-effective healthcare services, quality diagnostic equipment and trained doctors, with many of them fluent in English.

India ranked tenth globally for medical tourism with a score of 69.80 on Medical Tourism Index 2020-2021 (MTI).

What are the initiatives to promote MVT?

• National Strategy and Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism - Was rolled out by union government in January 2022 to provide health services to the world at large.
• Heal in India campaign - Launched by union government to market the nation as a wellness and medical tourism destination.
• 37 hospitals including 30 private hospitals across 17 cities have been identified to cater to MVT.
• E-visas - India has launched e-visas for MVT travelers from 156 nations.
• Online MVT portal - The union government plans to launch a one-stop online MVT portal.
• The portal will include mapping of all medical facilitators including government and private hospitals, booking of services, payments and post-operative services.

What are the challenges to MVT sector?

• Lacks government regulations and monitoring.
• Lacks a separate body to head MVT and coordinate between various stakeholders.
• No standard prices for treatments across India.
• The lack of a price range leaves tourists susceptible to cheating.
• No medical insurance portability for MVT travelers.
• Lack of awareness about National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, India’s national medical accreditation.

Quick facts

References

1. The Hindu│ India Status Of MVT
2. The Hindu│ Advantage Healthcare India 2023 Features