Hospitals standardise prices to woo tourists

Aimed at enhancing the flow of medical tourists into the country, as many as 33 domestic hospital chains have agreed to a price band for key treatments.

The tags - arrived at as a result of the combined efforts of the tourism ministry and Confederation of Indian Industry - applies to angiography, angioplasty, knee replacement, chemotherapy, etc.

Apollo Hospitals, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, Fortis Hospitals, Max Devki Devi Heart and Vascular Institute, Sri Ganga Ram Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre are the majors which have arrived at a consensus on the price front.

Besides the actual surgery/ treatment, the price package comprises all related tests and scans, medication and hospital stay.

The tourism ministry has already prepared brochures and pamphlets to advertise overseas the country's initiatives in medical tourism. Other retail outlets are being finalised by the ministry.

For marketing purposes, the ministry has tied up with Visa. Earlier in the year, the ministry had tied up with the credit card company to promote its Incredible India campaign. As a special case, BBC and CNN will be airing commercials on medical tourism free of cost.

Wellness and spirituality for post operative care will also be included in the final positioning of medical tourism, said Amitabh Kant, joint secretary, ministry of tourism. He said easy access to world class facilities coupled with the cost advantage made India a logical destination for medical tourism.

The ministry's involvement in medical tourism is being perceived as a positive step by industry experts as a government stamp lends confidence to the entire system and will lead to even more foreign exchange earning from this sector.

For instance, Apollo Delhi alone earned 10 per cent of its total revenue from medical tourism last year. Harpal Singh, chairman, Fortis said Escorts earned 10-12 per cent of its revenue from the overseas market.

Sunita Reddy, executive director - finance, Apollo Hospitals, said, "With the government's approval, our forex earning should increase and help in combating competition from countries such as Singapore and Malaysia."

Reddy also said high foreign exchange earning in the higher end tertiary care would allow Apollo to subsidise its general ward.