Originally published September 26 2005
Surgery "price bands" proposed in India to attract medical tourism
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
In India, where foreigners in search of inexpensive medical procedures have turned medical tourism into a $333 million industry, the government is recommending all graded hospitals adopt common price bands for various procedures, like cardiovascular operations and minimally invasive surgeries, that include everything from initial testing costs to post-operative costs so such procedures could be marketed as packages in other countries.
These price bands will be applicable on end-to-end costs, including initial diagnostics, tests and costs borne after operations.
The ministry of tourism will be marketing these facilities as medical packages in foreign markets to promote medical tourism in the country.
Medical tourism in India is at present worth $333 million and is expected to grow to $2.2 billion by 2010, according to a McKinsey study.
Mr Singh expects the markets to grow to $5 billion in the next 5 to 7 years.
The ministries of health and tourism are working on a CII proposal that envisages one common price band for a common service, for instance, angioplasty, across graded hospitals.
At present, the proposal has got recognition by about 30 hospitals in 15 Indian cities.
According to Amitabh Kant, joint secretary, ministry of tourism, the ministry is working on the proposal and is likely to come out with its recommendation in a month.
Dr Naresh Trehan, CEO, Escorts and president, Indian Healthcare Federation, said the proposal aims at providing indicative prices of various services available to the foreign patients who have little idea of the Indian healthcare industry.
"We have defined costs for various medical services like valve replacement, bypass surgery etc and have recommended common price bands for them," said Dr Trehan.
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