The Hindu Business Line : Bengal emerging hub for medical tourism

Even till a few decades after Independence, Kolkata was considered to be in the forefront of the healthcare sector in the country. It was widely felt that the government sector should take on the onus of providing healthcare facilities, at least at the primary and secondary levels. Private players could, however, come in at the tertiary level, where speciality healthcare services were required. The pressure of a burgeoning population coupled with constraints pertaining to resources and available infrastructure ensured that the government sector was found wanting when it came to delivery of healthcare services. The absence of a social security shield, and inadequate health insurance options, only compounded the problem.

Gradually, the number of people who came to Kolkata from other eastern States and the North-East for medical treatment started dwindling. Indeed, many people from West Bengal, as also from other neighbouring States, headed for South, West and North India for specialised medical treatment. Thankfully, that seems to be a thing of the past. Since the mid-1990s, the trend appears to have been reversed. Kolkata is, slowly but surely, regaining its rightful place in the healthcare firmament in not just India but this part of the world. Several latest healthcare facilities have been set up by the private sector even as the State Government has been proactive in encouraging public private partnerships (PPP) in this sector.

In the last few years, West Bengal has zeroed in on its strategy for the healthcare sector. A health policy has been formulated towards this end. Among other things, the policy focuses on the importance of PPP in healthcare and its delivery mechanism. Reforms have been initiated to ensure that the poor have access to quality healthcare. The PPP model pursued by the State Government does not involve only the private sector but also non-government organisations and community-based organisations. In the last 10-15 years, several new healthcare facilities have come up in the city. They include hospitals such as Kothari, Peerless, Ruby, Wockhardt, AMRI, Rabindra Nath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, and so on. These have augmented the city’s healthcare offerings in addition to older institutions such as The Calcutta Medical Research Institute, Belle Vue Clinic, Woodlands Nursing Home, and so on.

Another area where a lot was found wanting was diagnostic facilities. An attempt to bridge the crucial gap between the growing need for diagnostic facilities and outlets engaged in the same was first made on December 1988 with the setting up of the Medinova Diagnostic Services. Says Mr Rupak Barua, Chief Operating Officer, the Calcutta Medical Research & Research Centre: “The healthcare sector in Kolkata did not grow because body corporates were disinclined to invest in the sector. Things have changed now and the healthcare segment is among the fastest-growing industry segments in India. As such, the corporate sector is keen to partake in the growth opportunities that exist in the healthcare segment today”. According to him, in the last few years, many NRI doctors, paramedics and nursing staff have come back to their roots in Kolkata.

Cost advantage

“The threshold has been reached and now we are moving towards super speciality services”, Mr Barua said. Patients from Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan regularly come here for specialised treatment. The cost-advantage that the city offers has also contributed to its attractiveness as a healthcare destination. “A bypass operation in the US or Europe will cost Rs 35-40 lakh. Here, it will cost a maximum of Rs 4 lakh,” says Mr Barua. No doubt, the State capital is positioning itself as a favoured destination for medical tourism.

According to Dr Chanchal Goswami, Medical Director, B.P. Poddar Hospital & Medical Research Centre, the healthcare segment in Kolkata has matured enough to undertake clinical trials.

While there are many healthcare institutions and allied service providers that have contributed to the city’s emergence as a regional healthcare hub, there are a few whose names merit special mention. They include:

CALCUTTA MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Set up in 1969, the Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) is the first private hospital to be set up in the city. Since then, the hospital has emerged as a leading multi-speciality tertiary care hospital with ISO 9001:2000 certification. Its pathology laboratory has received NABL accreditation from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. Says Mr Rupak Barua, Chief Operating Officer, CMRI, “West Bengal offers great scope for healthcare providers in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Healthcare facilities in West Bengal are on a par with anywhere else in the world. And we are cheaper than most of the rest.” According to him, West Bengal also has the potential to emerge as a medical tourism hub in the South Asian region. Plans have been firmed up to extend the group’s specialised healthcare services to other parts of the State. Two hospitals, one each in Haldia and Siliguri, are proposed to be set up.

B.M. BIRLA HEART RESEARCH CENTRE

Set up in 1989, B.M. Birla Hearth Research Centre (BMBHRC) is eastern India’s first, dedicated and super speciality cardiac care facility. Since then, over 15,000 surgeries and 50,000 cath procedures have been conducted with a success rate of over 99 per cent. The comprehensive cardiac care facility offers complete cardiac care, with the latest digital cath lab, 64 slice cardiac CT scan, EECP therapy, EP study, gamma camera, lifestyle guidance clinic, etc. It provides critical cardiac care for infants and children.

BMBHRC has several other firsts to its credit. Not so long ago it achieved the distinction of becoming the first NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) accredited hospital in India for Patient Safety and Quality of Care, beating in the process 35 top healthcare facilities located across the country. It is the first hospital in India to receive ISO 9001 (2000), ISO 14001 (96) and ISO 18001 certifications.

B.P. PODDAR HOSPITAL & MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTRE

Set up in the posh New Alipore area, B.P. Poddar Hospital & Medical Research Centre is a 220-bedded, multi-speciality hospital that has established itself as a leading edge healthcare provider in the city. It also offers a learning environment where medical experts come together to promote research and patient care.

An important discipline where the hospital has expertise is comprehensive cancer treatment comprising surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Arrangements are made for tele-video conferencing with Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, for online consultation. As part of its expansion plans, B.P. Poddar Hospital has firmed up plans to set up a dental college, a medical college & hospital and a college for nursing staff and paramedics.

ANANDALOK HOSPITAL

Motivated by the spirit of “Manav Seva”, Mr D.K. Saraf began his life’s journey with utmost dedication nearly two-and-a-half decades ago. Today, Anandalok Hospital, the healthcare facility he founded, epitomises quality healthcare at affordable costs. At Anandalok, patients can avail themselves of coronary bypass surgery for Rs 45,000 even as cardiac care facilities in the ICCU are available for Rs 75 per day. Tuberculosis patients are treated and medicines provided to them at a nominal charge. Anandalok’s Netralay offers eye treatment and surgeries that include eye microsurgery, phaco emulsification surgery, retinal surgery, vitrectomy and squint surgery.

BASIL INTERNATIONAL LTD

There is no better antidote than nature cure and natural wellness. And this has been well understood by the Mumbai-based Basil International Ltd, which is setting up two resorts that are aimed at promoting wellness, rejuvenation and good health.

The Basil Fun World resort is being set up over 27.33 acres, nine km off Siliguri and near the Lachka river.

The site, which is visible from the Teesta-Mohananda channel, is located in a pollution-free environment.

For the adventurous and the health freaks, there will be facilities such as trekking, boating, car racing, golf, and so on.

Basil International is also setting up the Basil Village spread over seven acres of land at Udaypur near Digha.

NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY LTD

Healthcare insurance policies offer wide coverage and continuous protection against unforeseen health contingencies.

For a small price, healthcare insurance policies help to bring affordability in healthcare for one and all. On the forefront, in this regard, is National Insurance Company Ltd, which offers health cover to individuals and families from the age of three months to 90 years (last entry age at 75). National Insurance Company Ltd offers various schemes that include Mediclaim Insurance, Vidyarthi Mediclaim for students, Parivar Mediclaim for families and Varistha Mediclaim for senior citizens.

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