Gujarat hospitals eye medical tourism

Along with NRIs and NRGs, even foreign patients now eye city hospitals for all their medical needs

AHMEDABAD: It's a win-win situation for both the city hospitals as well as the patients who make a beeline to the city to avail world-class treatment at almost half of what it would have cost them abroad. While city doctors gain valuable experience from such in-flow of patients, the hospitals rake in the moolah. However, it's the patients, mostly the non-resident Indians, particularly Gujaratis, and even the foreigners who have started flocking city hospitals for all their medical requirements. They benefit the most from their medical jaunts to the country, including Ahmedabad.

The driving factor for these foreign patients is the total package and facilities that is being offered to these foreign patients. Here not only their total medical expenses get reduced by half, the fringe benefits from being able to tour the country also lure them. 
According to the doctors the cost of operations in the US, UK, and Middle East countries are almost three times more compared to that of India. Again there are hospitals in Ahmedabad which offers package tours which clubs operation costs as well as sightseeing in other states and cities besides local tourist spots in the state. Shalby Hospital which is aggressively looking to promote medical tourism is not only focusing on the NRIs and NRGs, but also foreigners. The hospital is going to launch the scheme from August onwards and will soon embark on hard line marketing in different countries like Nigeria, Dubai and others.

Talking to DNA, executive director of Shalby Hospital, Wg Cdr Arun Kaul said, "So far it was only the NRIs and NRGs that were being targeted by city doctors. However, the trend seems to be changing as many patients are looking forward to get operated in India."

With this aim in view, Shalby Hospital has planned to dedicate an entire floor for foreign patients who will not only be provided with the best of treatment but will also be given facilities like personal attention, traveling to any desired destination in Gujarat and across India, Kaul added.

Kaul also added that the surprise factor is that this entire package will be available to the patients at almost less than half the cost of the operation in UK or Middle East countries 

Apart from this, another most important lure factor is the medical insurance which is a big concern for most patients. According to Dr Pankaj Doshi, medical director of Shalby Hospitals, "Certain ailments like dental, obesity, plastic surgery and many others which are not covered under insurance policies. Thus it becomes very difficult for patients to bear the treatment costs abroad. Therefore if they get it treated here, they save lot of money," Doshi said.  

Like Shalby, there are other hospitals in the city which too are working to promote medical tourism.

CEO of Apollo Hospital, Dr Praful Pawar told DNA, "We have developed a special international wing for the foreign patients in our hospital wherein all kind of facilities, from food to their personal liking are taken care."

"So far, we haven't started the tourism facility but we are taking those foreign patients on local tour in and around Ahmedabad and have tie-ups with the hotels also'" he added. According to sources, Apollo started this special wing some four months ago and seeing the demand from the patients who are coming from countries like Uganda and other Middle East countries like Dubai, the hospital may plan for tourism facilities soon.

Sterling hospital is also having special facilities for foreign patients wherein special rooms like deluxe and suites is provided with special facilities provided. Apart from this the hospital management has also training etiquettes and English language to the staff.