The Hindu : Centre's policy a shot in the arm for State

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 30, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Centre's policy a shot in the arm for State

By K.P.M. Basheer

KOCHI NOV. 29. The Central Government's health tourism policy is likely to give a boost to Kerala's efforts to sell the State as a cost-effective destination for travel and treatment.

The Union Health Ministry had a few days ago adopted a health tourism policy with a view to wooing the sick in Europe and the Gulf to the super-speciality hospitals, specialist healthcare institutions and ayurvedic healing centres.

India has, with the opening of quality treatment facilities at reasonable prices in the private sector, of late emerged as a medical destination for patients from abroad. The Government is keen on taking advantage of this trend by linking treatment to holidaying.

Kerala, which has already acquired a reputation as an ayurveda-based health tourism destination, will be a major beneficiary of the Centre's policy initiative. T. Balakrishnan, State Tourism Secretary, pointed out that Indian Embassies in Europe and West Asia could now link up with the Governments and insurance companies in these countries to offer healthcare packages and thus attract a flow of patients.

Kerala Tourism, whose successful marketing strategies have won worldwide appreciation, has made ayurveda a brand equity of Kerala. The Central Government's policy backing would be a stimulus to these efforts, Mr. Balakrishnan told The Hindu.

The Centre is planning to set up a task force to formulate detailed guidelines to put the policy into practice. Senior Government officials as well as representatives of the tourism industry, hospitals and airlines would be on the task force.

The initiative follows the realisation that medical treatment in many European countries is extremely expensive and the patients have to wait for long periods, often months on end, to receive specialised treatments and surgeries.

By European standards, medical care is extremely cheap in India and the foreign patients get extra care and attention. The country has some outstanding medical facilities, particularly in super-speciality areas. For instance, Chennai is now well known for its facilities for advanced heart surgeries.

Mr. Balakrishnan pointed out that Kerala Tourism, which had until recently projected Ayurveda as one of its USPs (unique selling proposition), was now drawing attention to comprehensive medical care coupled with beautiful holidaying. This is because of the recent setting up of certain fine private hospitals in Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

The Kerala Tourism brochures now list these hospitals and highlight the cost advantages compared with those in Europe.

The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and the Medical Trust Hospital in Kochi, the Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences in Kozhikode and the Sree Chitra Institute in Thiruvananthapuram are some of the hospitals that find a mention in Kerala Tourism's health tourism promotion campaign.

Mr. Balakrishnan noted that even after making allowances for airfare and other costs, treatment in Kerala would work out to be cheaper for the European patients. In most European countries, the `social welfare' (funded by Government) and insurance companies pick up the medical bills of their citizens. This hampers an outflow of patients to Kerala and India. However, he suggested that the Indian embassies tackle this by entering into agreements with the European Governments and insurance companies.

Kerala was the first State in the country to sell health tourism abroad by promoting ayurveda. Two major highlights of the tourism campaign have been backwaters and ayurveda and this strategy has paid off well. However, the oversell of ayurveda has resulted in the mushrooming of unlicensed and ill-equipped healing centres which often have untrained and unqualified personnel. There has also been a growth of shady spas and massage parlours in the garb of ayurvedic treatment. This, the authorities have now realised, would damage Kerala's tourism image.

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