'Superbug attempt to trip medical tourism'

Experts say developed countries creating bogey of antibiotic-resistant superbug to safeguard their healthcare sector as medical tourism to country is growing 30% annually, expected to be Rs 9,600-crore industry by 2015

RS 9,600 crore ufffd that is the kind of money the world is set to lose to India by 2015 if the medical tourism industry continues to flourish at its present rate.

After a study on a superbug named after New Delhi (NDM1) that was published in an international journal called India an unsafe place for medical tourists, experts claim it to be nothing short of a bid to halt the growth of the multimillion-dollar medical tourism industry.

In world's top five
"Asia has become the preferred destination for medical tourism and India is among the world's top five places to go to for treatment. Since the hospitals here have gained international recognition and there is no stopping us, this superbug business is doing the rounds," said Bomi Bhote, CEO, Ruby Hall Clinic. "We aren't saying that there are no antibiotic resistant bacteria, but these reports single out India because we are the fastest growing medical tourism industry."

Industry insiders say about 4.5 lakh people visit India every year for medical treatment; about one-fourth of these come from First World countries like the US, the UK and developed nations of Europe.

And this figure is going up by 30 per cent every year.
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According to a CII-McKenzie report, the worth of the Indian medical tourism industry is projected to touch $2 billion (nearly Rs 9,292 crore at present rates) by 2012, the fastest growth recorded by any country in such a short time.

Dr Shrihari Dhorepatil, head of bariatric surgery at Jehangir hospital and founder president of Bariatric Surgery Society of India, said the developed world was creating Indian scare scenarios to keep its own healthcare system going.

"India is probably among the two or three countries where medical tourism is growing so fast. People get fed up of the long waiting list for elective surgeries in other countries and since the cost of private care in India is one-fifth of that abroad, they prefer travelling here," said Dhorepatil. "Maybe that is what is hurting others. Since the medical facilities here are improving day by day and getting international accreditation, they needed a superbug to put us down."

Surgery made easy
Another reason India is a highly preferred option is the kind of surgeries offered here.

Dushyant Dave, vice-president (Asia-Pacific) of the International Wellness and Healthcare Travel Association (IWHTA), said that as of two years ago, India was the key destination for several patients wanting knee and hip replacement surgeries.

"These surgeries weren't completely recommended and certified abroad, and when they were, they were expensive," said Dave. "Furthermore, cosmetic and dental procedures are not covered by medical insurance and therefore several patients come to India even for these, as they are far cheaper here."

According to Dave, cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Jalandhar, Chandigarh and centres in Delhi, Haryana and Gujarat were doing extremely well.

"As costs rise in the big cities, there are tier-II cities that are slowly entering the medical tourism sector as well," said Dave.