A CASE STUDY ON MEDICAL TOURISM IN CHENNAI CITY

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1 International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET) Volume 9, Issue 5, May 2018, pp , Article ID: IJCIET_09_05_109 Available online at ISSN Print: and ISSN Online: IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed A CASE STUDY ON MEDICAL TOURISM IN CHENNAI CITY K.S. Beena Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management Bharath University, Chennai, Tami Nadu, India Dr. D. Venkatrama Raju Professor, Department of Management Studies Bharath University, Chennai, India ABSTRACT Medical tourism is a process of travelling outside one s own country for the purpose of receiving medical care. The objective of this study is to study the factors which are attracting the international patients to Chennai, to study the satisfaction level of International Patients and to compare the cost of the treatment in Chennai with foreign countries. This study was conducted in a corporate multi-super speciality hospital at Chennai. Primary Data is collected using methods such as interviews, questionnaires and observations of the admit patients in the study hospital for the year 2015 randomly. Sources of Data Collection Paper based sources, Electronic sources, Official or government sources, Unofficial or general business sources. Keywords: Medical tourism, Chennai, International patients, inbound medical tourists, Wellness tourism. Cite this Article: K.S. Beena and Dr. D. Venkatrama Raju, A Case Study on Medical Tourism in Chennai City, International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 9(5), 2018, pp INTRODUCTION Definition of Medical Tourism Medical tourism can be defined as the process of travelling outside the country of residence for the purpose of receiving medical care. Growth in the popularity of medical tourism has captured the attention of policy-makers, researchers and the media. Originally, the term referred to the travel of patients from less-developed countries to developed nations in pursuit of the treatments not available in their homeland. Ancient History- Indian Medical Tourism Some might have difficulty in categorizing yoga retreats, Buddhist pilgrimages, and meditation centres as medical tourism, but the unbelievable reach of India s healing arts is not editor@iaeme.com

2 K.S. Beena and Dr. D. Venkatrama Raju to be ignored. Ever since yoga s birth more than 5,000 years ago. India has enjoyed a constant influx of medical travellers and spiritual students hoping to master and benefit from this most fundamental and revered branch of alternative medicine. When Buddhism came along roughly 2,500 years later, this only added fuel to the fire and helped position India as the epicentre of Eastern cultural, spiritual, and medicinal progress. Not only is India one of the world s oldest medicine tourism destinations, but it has now also become one of the world s most popular ones as well. Medical Tourism Industry Overview The Indian healthcare market is Rs.15 billion and growing at over 30% every year. Indian private hospitals are increasingly finding a mention in the travel itineraries of foreigners, with the trend of medical tourism catching up in the country. If industry estimates are to be believed, the sixze of the medical tourism industry stands at Rs.1,200 Rs.1,500 crore (Rs billion) A recent CII-Mckinsey study on Indian healthcare says medical tourism alone can contribute Rs.5,000- Rs.10,000 crore (Rs billion) additional revenue for tertiary hospitals by 2012, and will account for 3-5% of the total healthcare delivery market. This is a huge, untapped market, not just for the theraoeutic medical torism llike ayurveda, but also for curative treatment. India can lead the world in medical and health tourism since we have a tremendious advantage with a large pool of skilled manpower and technological edge. Why India? The countries where medical tourism is being actively promoted include Greece, South Africa, Hordan, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. India is a recent entrant into medical tourism. The Indian government predicts that India s $17-billion a year healthcare industry could grow 13 per cent in each of the next six years, boosted by medical tourism, which industry watchers say is growing at 30 % annually. Price advantage is a major selling point. The slogan, thus is, First World treatment at third world prices. The cost differential across the board is huge: only a tenth and sometimes even a sixteenth of the cost in the west. India has a lot of hospitals offering world class treatments in nearly every medical sectr. For long promoted for its cultural and scenic beauty, India is niw being put up on international map as a heaven for those seeking quality and affordable healthcare. Analysts say that as many as 150,000 medical tourists came to India in As Indian corporate hospitals are on par if not better than the best hospitals in Thailand, Singapore, etc here is scope for improvement, and the country is becoming a preferred medical destination. In addition to the increasingly top class medical care, a big draw for foreign patients is also the very minimal or hardly any waitlist as is common in European or American hospitals. About Chennai Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu a beautiful state in south India- is one of the fast growing big metropolitan cities of India. Chennai has been the most visited city in India by foreign tourists (since 2008), overtaking New Delhi and Mumbai with visitors to heritage sites in Kancheepuram and Mahaballipuram and medical tourists making up the largest numbers. In 2011, Chennai was ranked 41st in global top 100 city destination ranking, with 3,174,500 tourists, a 14 percent increase from 2010, This is up from 650,000 tourists in 2007, when Chennai was the third most visited city in India by foreigners ranked after Delhi and Mumbai. Tourists from USA, UK, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore had visited the city in 2007.The city has golden beaches, inviting monuments, holy places and un obvious Tamil culture. The city is the spice of South India that has been holding the secrets of rich flavour from time immemorial. The city is now becoming India s health capital by attracting 45% of health tourists from abroad. It can be stated that with large number of multi- and super-specialty editor@iaeme.com

3 A Case Study on Medical Tourism in Chennai City hospitals equipped with the latest medical equipments and facilities, dedicated doctors and treatment expertise of international standards, all at a relatively low cost, Chennai is a real gateway to health. The real gift is that many of these tourist destinations like mahaballipuram, cove long, Tirupathi, Kancheepuram, Chidambaram, Vandalur Zoo, Dhakshin chitra, Madurai, Tanjavur and Pondicherry are easily accessible from Chennai. Advantages of coming to Chennai for Medical Treatment Large number of multi-and super specialty hospitals equipped with the latest medical equipment and facilities Dedicated doctors and treatments expertise of international standards Relatively at a very low cost No waiting time Fleuent multi lingual speaking staff Facilities available for private room, translators and other tailor masw services. Can combined with a holity/business trip. Quality in health care India the glorious country has found yet another way to contribute to the world through quality health care. Now is the time when it is giving its best through quality health care and medical tourism facilities. Increasing pressure on the medical facilities and the hike in the purchasing capacity of the Indians and the foreigners visiting India has led to the recent development in the quality healthcare and medical facilities. The geographic conditions ad the increase in the quality healthcare services are all conducive to boost the medical tourism facilities in India. Importance of Accreditation Obviously, you want to receive the best possible care that you can. When you stick with medical facilities that have reputable credentials and accreditation, you can be reasonably sure that they adhere to certain standards, medical codes, and professional ethics. Having accreditation does not necessarily mean that your doctor or dentist is a miracle worker, but it helps to weed out undesirable medical practitioners. In addition, many insurance companies will not pay for medical services performed at non-accredited health care facilities. Joint Commission International (JCI) Joint Commission International (JCI) is the global arm of the US-based joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO); the same body that certifies over 18,000 hospitals in the United States. Although JCI approval is not the only accreditation available for medical tourism facilities, it is a fairly good benchmark to use when researching foreign hospitals. If you come across a medical tourism facility that doesn t have JCI accreditation, there s no need to be alarmed. Many countries have their own accrediting bodies that put forth standards and regulations that closely Organization for Standardization (ISO). Wile ISO is not necessarily a health care accrediting body, it s importance that you stick with medical tourism destinations here ISO has representation. ISO and its member organizations help ensure that hospitals and dental clinics closely adhere to the strict international standards that they put forth. In this way, you have a amuch better chance of receiving optimal medical and dental care when you take your helath vacation abroad editor@iaeme.com

4 K.S. Beena and Dr. D. Venkatrama Raju Access to Chennai By Air: Air india and all other private /alliance flights connects Chennai with all major cities in india. The nearest airport is Anna International terminal and Kamarajar Domestic Terminal. By rail: The world s second largest railways under one management the Indian Railways carries more than ten million people every day. Main Railway stations are The central railway station, The Egmore junction and the Tambaram junction. By Bus: The TN state Road Transport Corporation (TNSRTC) has a busy district service that connects Hyderabad to every city, town and almost all villages. Cost comparison: Preventive health Checks Preventive Health Checks Charges in Chennai Master Health Check $44 Executive Health Check $85 Cardiac Checkup $135 Procedure charges in Chennai and USA (US $) Procedure Cost (US$) United States Chennai Bone Marrow Transplant 2,50,000 70,000 Liver Transplant 3,00,000 70,000 Heart Surgery 30,000 9,000 Orthopedic Surgery 20,000 7,000 Cataract Surgery 2,000 1,550 Dental Procedure Charges between USA and Chennai Dental procedure General Dentist Cost in US ($) Cost in Chennai ($) Top End Dentist Top End Dentist Smile designing - 8,000 1,000 Metal Free Bridge - 5, Dental Implants - 3, Porcelain Metal Bridge 1,800 3, Porcelain Metal Crown 600 1, Tooth impactions 500 2, Root canal Treatment 600 1, Tooth whitening Tooth colored composite fillings Tooth cleaning editor@iaeme.com

5 A Case Study on Medical Tourism in Chennai City Cost Comparision Chennai Vs United Kingdom (UK) Procedure United Kingdom (USD) Approx Chennai (USD) Approx Open Heart Surgery USD 18,000 USD 4,800 Cranio-Facial surgery and skull base USD 13,000 USD 4,500 Neuro- surgery with Hypothermia USD 21,000 USD 6,800 Complex spine surgery with implants USD 13,000 USD 4,600 Simple Spine Surgery USD 6,500 USD 2,300 Simple Brain Tumor -Biopsy -Surgery Parkinson s - Lesion - DBS USD 4,300 USD 10,000 USD 6,500 USD 26,000 USD1,200 USD 4,600 USD 2,300 USD 17,800 Hip Replacement USD 13,000 USD 4,500 These costs are an average and may not be the actual cost to be incurred. 2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To study the factors which are attracting the international patients to Chennai. To study the satisfaction level of International Patients To compare the cost of the treatment in Chennai with foreign countries. 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Data collection This study was conducted in a corporate multi-super specialty hospital at Chennai. Primary Data Primary Data is collected using methods such as interviews, questionnaires and observations of the admit patients in the study hospital for the year 2015 randomly Secondary Data all methods of collection can supply quantitative data (numbers, statistics or financial) or qualitative data (usually words or text ). Quantitative data may often be presented in tabular or graphical form. Secondary data is data that has already been collected by someone elsefor a different purpose. For example- data supplied by a marketing organization, Annual hospital reports, Government statistics. Sources of Data Collection Paper based sources, Electronic sources, Official or government sources, Unofficial or general business sources. 4. FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS Specialty wise International Patients received treatment in study Hospital (2007) Sr.No. Specialty No. of Patients 1 Cardio-Thorasic Surgery 38 2 Plastic Surgery 49 3 Ophthalmology editor@iaeme.com

6 K.S. Beena and Dr. D. Venkatrama Raju 4 Gynecology & Obstetrics 09 5 Orthopedics 68 6 Surgical Gastroenterology 38 7 Laparoscopic Surgery 49 8 Health check 60 9 Kidney Transplant Surgery Oncology Dental 32 TOTAL 463 From the above data we can say that the international patients are coming to Chennai to get the world class treatment at negligible cost without any waiting time by the world class western qualified and trained Doctores for the major health issues and tourism. There is more demand for Orthopedics, Opthalmology, Plastic surgery, Cardio-thoracic and Oncology surgeries as these re the most expensive surgeries in their countries with more waiting time. Nationality wise International Patients Received Treatment in Study Hospital (2007) Sr.No. Country Name Number Of Patients 1 NRI-USA 31 2 NRI-UK 32 3 KSA 78 4 UAE 82 5 Tanzania 63 6 Nigeria 38 7 Ethiopia 53 8 Kenya 32 9 Afghanistan Uganda China 06 TOTAL 463 From the above data we can say that the Non-Residents- Indians from the developed world and from the Arab Countries and African Countries Chennai is getting good number of patients in all specialities. Patients are paying from their own pockets to escape from the diseases and the huge waiting time in their countries editor@iaeme.com

7 A Case Study on Medical Tourism in Chennai City Satisfaction Level of International Patients Received Treatment in Study Hospital: Sr.No. Services Very Good% Good% Average% Below Average% 1 Medical Treatment Medical Services Nursing Services Patient Service Administrative Staff Food And Beverage House Keeping Over All Facilities Total Interviews were conducted in the study hospital of the international Patients, who are treated and those under treatment, in the conscious state of mind. This reveals that % patients rated the services provided by the study hospital are very good, 13.49% patients rated the services provided by the study hospital are good, 0.80% patients rated the services provided by the study hospital are average, 0.00% patients rated the services provided by the study hospital are below average. 5. CONCLUSIONS The following factors are attracting the international patients to Chennai India for treatment and tourism Cost Benefit: The prime advantage is the cost savings with respect to medical consultancy or surgeries. Many of the Chennai hospitals, serving international patients, have state-of-the art infrastructure, highly educated doctors and top-notch services but the figure on that prices tag is a fraction of what it would be in developed countries. Even if the patient s insurance does not cover the costs of treatment in India, the final bill in an Indian hospital would most probably be lower than patient s out-of-pocket expenses. Timeliness : Another advantage is the possibility of getting immediate medical attention. There are no waiting lists or delays to contend with, due to insurance issues or unavailability of doctors etc. Quality Health Care : Chennai doctors and paramedics are well trained and one of the best in the world. Personalized Care : Here patients are monitored closely with a personal care of all age group. Technological Sophistication : All the corporate Hospitals in Chennai are having state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure for the best treatment and diagnosis editor@iaeme.com

8 K.S. Beena and Dr. D. Venkatrama Raju Facilitation by Government : The Government of India has recognized the economic potential of medical tourism. It has facilitated travel by introducing a special visa category known as medical visa for patients as well as introduced tax incentives for hospitals. Ease of Travel and Communication : Travel to Chennai (India) has become easier and much faster due to introduction of private airlines. Access to internet in Chennai is considered to be one of the cheapest in the world and communication facilities are well established. Travel agencies have a great online presence and can offer you package deals that include travel costs, boarding as well as treatment costs. Easy availability of Medicine and Drugs : Certified drugs and medicines are easily available in Chennai, at comparatively lesser prices. Modern & and traditional : Modern medical aid as well as traditional therepy, such as Ayurveda, yoga, Naturopathy etc, is available at different locations in Chennai. Tourism Potential: People, who come for relatively simple, but important procedures, can consider packing in some travel too, with their doctor s permission. This is an added advantage. Every part of the country is rich in history and diverse in geography. REFERENCES [1] C.R.Kothari, 2002, Research Methodology, 2 nd Edition [2] Philip Kptler, John Bown, James Makens, 2003, Marketing Management, Global Prodpective, 3 rd edition. [3] V S Ramaswamy, S Nanakuars, 2002, Marketing Management, Global Prospective, 3 rd Edition. [4] James AF Slouer, R Edward, Daniel R Gilbert, May (1998(, Management, 1 st Edition [5] Syed Amin Tabish, Hospital and Health Services Administration, 2001, Oxford. [6] Dr. B. Narayan, 1999, ISO 9000 and quality Movements [7] K Sridhar Bhatt, Aug 2002, Total Quality Movements [8] Modern Medicare- Vol 3, No.12, Nov [9] Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, Vol-IV No.4, Oct-Nov.2007 [10] Health Administrator, Vol.!, No-12, Dec-2007 [11] Express Healthcare-Vol.1, No-12, Dec-2007 [12] International Journal of Management Science-Vol-2, No-2, Dec-2006 [13] Dr. Satpal Singh and Dr. Sahil, Study on Medical Tourism Global Competition in Healthcare and a Study on Satisfaction Level among Foreign Patient s. International Journal of Marketing & Human Resource Management (IJMHRM), 5(1), 2014, pp [14] Shraddha Chowdhary, Health Is Wealth : Medical Tourism Industry in India - The New Revenue Generator. International Journal of Management (IJM), 4(4), 2013, pp editor@iaeme.com