India’s new tourism operation

The Indian state of Maharashtra is reported to be marketing itself as one of the world’s leading medical tourism destinations. The BBC News website today reports that the state’s business sector and private healthcare providers have teamed up to form the Medical Tourism Council of Maharashtra. The group is reported to be claiming that the state has some of the best private hospitals in the world, and that they are able to provide a service on a par with that in Europe and the United States – but at a fraction of the cost. A brochure produced by the organisation reportedly claims that whereas private heart surgery would costs around USD50,000 in the West, in India the same treatment would cost USD10,000. The Medical Tourism Council is now developing fixed-price treatment “packages” for foreigners, to include medical costs, travel and accommodation. The chief neurosurgeon at Bombay’s Hinduja hospital told the BBC: “Wherever you can offer better services at a more competitive price, that is the place that is going to win, in the end.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad