Focuz Group to foray into medical tourism

The Kochi-based Focuz Group has firmed up plans to foray into the medical tourism segment in Kerala by forming a partnership with Canada-based Unbelievable India.

Talking to Business Standard, Joe Jose, director, Focuz, said that a joint venture company "� BestMed Tourism "� had been set up to work singularly towards this goal.

"Further formalities of the deal would be completed by the end of January 2007," he added.

With healthcare costing 15 per cent more in North America compared with that in India coupled with the long waiting period for major surgeries, more and more people from that country and Canada are looking towards Kerala, which already has a reputation for better and cheaper medical facilities, he said.

The Rs 200-crore company's 49:61 per cent joint venture with Unbelievable India intends to tap this potential. The deal was inked between the two companies in Montreal, Canada.

According to P T Jose, chairman of Focuz Group, the new company would focus its efforts on promoting and organising medical tours in Kerala.

"We will be providing state-of-the-art medical facilities to North Americans, who can combine medical treatment and tourism at rock bottom prices."

As part of the deal, a two-member medical team from Unbelievable India will be in Kerala soon for an indepth analysis and audit of various hospitals under consideration for visit of medical tourists, Joe Jose said.

The Unbelievable India team will ensure that these hospitals can provide the kind of care and service standards that the North Americans expect.

Focuz and a handful of hospitals in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, including Kochi-based Medical Trust Hospital, LakeShore Hospital , Vasan's Eye Care, and Thiruvananthapuram-based KIMS, already have understandings on working together in the health tourism segment.

"These understandings would be taken forward and formal agreements signed with the hospital managements in the coming days," Jose added.

The new company, Best Med Tourism, will coordinate all aspects of the medical tour in coordination with the hospitals.

Unbelievable India has also partnered with the group to provide various other tours such as yoga tours, study tours, business tours, ayurveda tours, sightseeing tours etc, to India with a special focus on Kerala.

The group is a leading player in the automobile spare parts, computer hardware and software and leisure travel segment in Kerala.