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In saying that you do not have to go to “cheap” healthcare destinations such as India and Mexico, the United States President, Mr Barack Obama, has ended up endorsing the fact that Indian hospitals are attracting patients from developed countries!
Whether it is the Lancet study and the concern over the drug-resistant “super-bug” strain of bacteria or the US President's recent statement – they are testimonials that the Indian healthcare system is making a mark globally, observes Fortis Chief Executive, Mr Vishal Bali.
There is room for improvement and in that sense, debate is good, but the “super-bug” concern regarding the over-use of antibiotics is “over-board”, Mr Bali told Business Line .
In the United Kingdom, for instance, the MRSA and worries over hospital infections is a big issue, bigger than the “super-bug”, he said. “If you start digging in different systems across the world, you will find similar situations,” he points out.
Growing medical tourism
Healthcare industry representatives across the board concur that the recent hi-decibel campaigns on the “super-bug” and the recent statement from the US President was no more than a heady mix of politics and healthcare – out to tarnish the estimated $900 million and growing medical tourism industry.
Earlier projections were, that the industry would touch $1.5 billion by 2010, but following the recession, that target had been staggered by another three or more years, say industry top-brass.
Fortis Hospitals, for instance, attracted more than 3,000 people from just developed nations, Mr Bali said.
The medical tourism industry is an island that is different from general healthcare in India, and it is not yet in significant competition to developed nations, observes Dr Amit Sengupta with the All India Peoples' Science Network. But yes, there is a racial element in naming the “super-bug” using New Delhi in its name, to where it was traced from.
But that should not prevent the healthcare industry from putting its house in order, he added.
Dr Vivek Desai, Head of hospital-management and consultancy company Hosmac India, observed that President Obama's statement was political in nature and would have no impact on the growing medical tourism industry in India.
People from West Asia, Africa and Europe continue to come to India for quality and economical medical treatment, he added.
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