Economics & Business Studies

The quality of healthcare services, coupled with comparatively low charges for common surgeries, has made India an attractive destination for medical-value travel. The main clientele comes from neighboring countries, but an increasing number of non-resident Indians Ñ who have settled in the US and the UK Ñ have also been taking advantage of the healthcare services in India. Additionally, there is a good prospect of future patients coming from the Middle East. The competitiveness of India in health tourism is enhanced by the attractiveness of the alternative systems of medicine, Ayurveda in particular. A large number of tourists, both domestic and foreign, undergo treatment under Ayurveda, not only for improving their fitness and well-being, but also for curing many types of chronic diseases. The unique position that the Indian state of Kerala enjoys with respect to Ayurveda is due to the fact that treatment has proven effective in dealing with certain diseases. Kerala is well supplied with herbs and medicinal plants, which are used for treatment. This book looks at India's successful efforts in marketing health tourism products internationally, highlighting the country's effective health traditions. With yoga, meditation, allopathy, and natural herbal treatments, India offers a unique combination of services to foreign patient-tourists that are difficult to match by other countries. The recent operations of children from Pakistan in Bangalore have not only helped boost the medical economy in the State, but have also helped in fostering goodwill, peace, and harmony between India and Pakistan.