5 emerging healthcare hubs in India

According to an article in the Deccan Herald, India is a preferred medical tourist destination for cardiology, orthopaedics, transplants and ophthalmology, with offerings in wellness, preventive, and alternative medicine as well. Key states and cities identified for medical tourists are Chennai, Mumbai, Goa, New Delhi and Ahmedabad.

According to the article, the following states in India are becoming well known for medical tourists:

• Chennai: Known as the health capital of India, Chennai is one of the most popular destinations for medical treatment. The city is the choice for bone marrow transplants, cardiac bypasses, eye surgeries, hip replacements and alternative medicine
• Mumbai: is the fastest growing medical tourism destination in India and has several super speciality hospitals, research and diagnostic centres for dentistry, orthopaedic and weight loss surgeries, cosmetic surgeries and Ayurveda. There are various treatment facilities and several private hospitals. It is, according to the article, a growing as a medical hub for international visitors and domestic patients from Maharashtra as well as states.
• Goa: Already the country’s go-to vacation destination, Goa is becoming a medical hub. The government has also begun to promote health and wellness tourism.
• New Delhi: The national capital is home to fantastic private hospitals with special facilities for tourists, including packages for general surgery, eye surgery, heart care, and neurosurgery
• Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad, known as the ‘Manchester of India’ is also a growing medical hub. With world-class hospitals, lots of NRIs reportedly prefer Ahmedabad for medical treatment.

The article recognises that India still needs to tackle several issues, including slow infrastructural development, government support, accreditations and promotions, insurance and allied services. These barriers are, it claims, hindering the full-fledged growth of the medical tourism industry.

For independent analysis of the medical travel sector in India, visit the IMTJ Country Profile.