NEW DEHLI: Even as the US government is trying to bring down healthcare costs, hospitals in India are hopeful that their medical tourism industry will not be affected.
Many Indian hospitals have tied up with US corporates to treat their employees at affordable rates.
DUBAI — The rapidly developing healthcare sector in the UAE faces challenges to its long-term sustainability due to the relatively high cost of medical provision, according to a recent report.
Competitor countries, particularly in Southeast Asia, have already established a strong reputation for quality, low-cost healthcare provision, and therefore have significant first-mover advantages compared to the UAE, according to “Transforming the Middle East’s healthcare model,” a recently published research report by Grant Thornton.
Commenting on the report, Farouk Mohamed, Managing Partner, Grant Thornton UAE, highlighted the need for cost rationalisation in the country’s healthcare sector, pointing out that the average cost of a heart bypass surgery in the UAE stood at $44,000, compared with an average of $18,500 in Singapore, $11,000 in Thailand, $10,000 in India and $9,000 in Malaysia.
“While the cost of healthcare provision in the UAE compares very favourably with most Western markets,” said Mohamed, “the long-term development of the country’s medical tourism sector remains extremely price-dependent. That is especially true during a period of global economic instability and relatively low levels of consumer confidence, worldwide and here in the Middle East.”
According to Dr Prem Jagyasi, a renowned healthcare consultant, high quality healthcare services with affordability are not a privilege, but the right of the people. “Healthcare should be affordable for every person,” he adds.
Citing the example of the US, Dr Jagyasi, who is also the Managing Director and CEO of ExHealth said that almost 50 million people are uninsured and 250 million are underinsured due to costly healthcare.
He said though low cost played an important role in medical tourism, other factors existed as well. “For instance in Canada and UK, healthcare is available but not easy accessible. In many countries, high-end healthcare is not available so affluent society travels for medical tourism. The key factors are lack of affordability, availability and accessibility,” he added.
“Though healthcare cost should be controlled in the UAE, medical tourism in UAE can’t be developed only on cost effectiveness,” he argues. “Perception of the destination, quality of services and added advantages can help in development of medical tourism.”
Hisham Farouk, International Practice Partner, Grant Thornton UAE, highlighted that Singapore, for example, has stated that it aims to attract one million medical tourists a year by 2012, and that the UAE also has the opportunity and means to become an important regional medical tourism destination.
“The further development of the medical tourism sector in the UAE, although dependent upon more competitive costs, can provide the country with significant direct and indirect benefits,” said Farouk.
“There is no question that the existing infrastructure in the UAE, and especially in clusters such as Dubai Healthcare City, is already well developed,” he said. “There is every reason to believe that the ongoing development of this potentially high-growth area will further enhance the reputation of the UAE as a centre of medical excellence and a leading destination for medical care.”
However, the DHCC is facing issues of its own. Affected by the global financial crunch, the prestigious Mayo Clinic recently shut down its out-patient heart clinic.
Timelines of other important projects such as the University Hospital which was due to be completed in 2011, are also being reviewed, said Dr Ayesha Abdulla, Senior Vice President of DHCC.
“We may not be able to compete on price with India, but we offer quality,” said Dr Ayesha, while speaking to Khaleej Times. The DHCC saw over 200,000 patients last year of which 10 per cent were from overseas.
Source: khaleejtimes.com
Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M.K.Stalin inaugurates the 25 – acre Park at Irungattukottai, near Chennai for Indigenous manufacture of world-class medical devices. Technology products at the park to offer international quality yet cost effective solutions to healthcare providers.
Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin (Centre) along with Dr. G.S.K. Velu, Founder & MD , Trivitron (right) at the Aloka Imagine Lab.Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin (Centre) along with Dr. G.S.K. Velu, Founder & MD , Trivitron (right)…
Deputy Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin (Centre) citting the ribbon of the Trvitron Medical Technologies Park. Dr. G.S.K. Velu, Founder & MD , Trivitron (left) and Dr. Pratap C. Reddy, Chairman Apollo Hospitals Group (right).Deputy Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin (Centre) citting the ribbon of the Trvitron Medical Technologies Park….
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, January 25, 2010 /India PRwire/ — “It’s a proud moment for all of us. We are exhilarated that Trivitron has set up the first medical technology park in the region to manufacture an indigenous line of products designed specifically for Indian markets. This is yet another feather in the cap of Tamil Nadu’s healthcare system.
Tamil Nadu, as you are all aware, is the leader in healthcare delivery in the country and is the choicest destination for international medical tourism”, said M. K. Stalin, the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. “It is an idea whose time has certainly come. With healthcare costs becoming prohibitive by the day, it is imperative that initiatives like this one be promoted aggressively”, he added.
He was speaking at the inauguration of South Asia’s first medical technology park at Sriperumbudur near Chennai on Monday. The setting up of the park at Chennai is in line with the government of Tamil Nadu’s initiative of promoting Chennai as a manufacturing hub.
Chennai has also been chosen in view of its reputation as a medical tourism hotspot. Its healthcare infrastructure, which includes among other things the clinical expertise on offer, has often come in for praise. What’s more, it has the added advantage of having an eastern seaport and a well-established airport.
Spread over 25 acres and designed to house 10 international medical technology manufacturers, the Trivitron Medical Technologies Park is an initiative of Trivitron Healthcare Private Ltd, one of the leading medical technology companies in India.
The park aims to bring cutting edge medical technology to medical professionals across the country at affordable costs. A range of products including Ultrasound systems, Colour Dopplers, X – ray machines, C-arms , in-vitro diagnostic reagents and instruments, cardiology diagnostic instruments, critical care instruments, modular operating theatres, operating theatre lights and tables and implantable medical devices will be manufactured at the park.
It is expected that the manufacture of world-class medical devices within the country will bring down the overall healthcare costs dramatically.
The first of the various facilities to be set up at the park was also inaugurated on Monday. Inaugurated by Dr. Prathap. C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo group of Hospitals, the Aloka Trivitron Medical Technologies facility is a joint venture between Aloka, a Japan based company credited with pioneering the diagnostic ultrasound technology globally and Trivitron.
The facility designed by Aloka Ltd’s Japanese production team, boasts of a fully ESD tiled production area of 12,000 sq. ft (ESD helps in the discharge of electrical charges from the human body, ensuring that the calibration of surrounding instruments does not get affected). Other areas of the facility, adding upto a total of approximately 20,000 sq. ft and including internal corridors, raw material storage area, material IN & UT areas have an epoxy coated flooring. The production area has an open design, which ensures a complete view from all sides of the goings – on inside. The facility itself has CCTV cameras installed everywhere. Measures have been taken to ensure that the facility is eco- friendly with ample usage of natural light and good water harvesting capacity.
Expected to reach maximum functional capacity soon, the facility the will engage in the manufacture of ultrasound machines, high end colour dopplers and advanced imaging systems.
“For quite some time now there has been a felt need of making quality healthcare not only available but also affordable. With the setting up of this park this need will certainly be met.
Indigenous manufacture of world class medical devices in collaboration with the best medical technology companies and research institutes in the world will spawn a new era in the spread of life saving medical technology across the country”, said Dr. Reddy.
In his address Mr. Minoru Yosizumi, President Aloka Ltd, Japan emphasized that the products manufactured at the facility will adhere to international standards such as ISO 9000 – 2001, ISO 13485, CE, US FDA and Japan MITI certifications.
In his keynote address Dr. G.S.K.Velu, Founder and Managing Director, Trivitron Group of Companies expressed hope that the setting up of the park will catalyze the rapid spread of medical technology across the country.
“The setting up of this park is a dream come true. With this we plan to put India on the global map of medical technology manufacturing. The fact that this initiative will eventually help bring down healthcare costs, facilitating the spread of advanced medical technology across the country is a source of great satisfaction for me”, he said.
Trivitron Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. is looking at setting up more facilities at the park very soon. To this end, the company has already signed joint ventures with leading international medical devices manufacturers. These include Brandon Medical, UK, ET, Cardioline, Italy, Johnson Medical, Sweeden and Biosystems, Spain.
V.K.Subburaj, Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Tamil Nadu hailed the setting up of the park as a giant stride towards self – sufficiency in medical devices manufacture. He said that this unique initiative will go a long way in ensuring that quality healthcare becomes widely available. A reduction in the manufacturing costs of medical devices, he said, will in turn reduce the overall healthcare costs significantly.
Prominent among others who spoke were Dr. T. K.Parthasarty, Director Trivitron Healthcare Private Ltd and V.R.Venkatachalam, Chancellor, Sri Ramachandra Medical University who also felicitated the chief guest.
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Despite the ongoing downturn faced by the tourism industry around the world, tourism industry in Turkey has reported significant growth rate in recent time. International tourists arrivals has increased by 2.7% in 2009 over 2008 as compare to negative growth faced by world tourism industry.
With strong government efforts and increasing popularity of Turkey as a tourism destination, the international tourist arrivals in Turkey is expected to increase at a health rate of over 10% in coming four years, with outbound and domestic tourism is also expected see the high growth rates.
Medical tourism is expected to see a maximum growth in coming years. Medical tourists are expected to increase by over 20% in coming years. Increasing healthcare costs in European countries and developing healthcare infrastructure in Turkey will drive the growth of medical tourism in Turkey. A part from that marine tourism and golf tourism is also expected to see a huge growth in coming years.
Turkey tourism industry by 2013 report provides an insight into the Turkish tourism market. It evaluates the past, present and future scenario of the Turkish tourism market and discusses the key factors which are making Turkey a potential tourism destination. Report deeply analysed the different parameters of tourism industry, including inbound tourism, domestic tourism, outbound tourism, medical tourism, hotel industry etc.
Report provides the future forecast till 2013 for the major tourism indicators. Report also covers the major players in the tourism industry including major hotel chains and airlines.
“Medical Tourism to Drive Tourism Industry in Turkey
As per recently released report “Turkey Tourism Industry by 2013″, despite the ongoing downturn faced by the tourism industry around the world, tourism industry in Turkey has reported significant growth rate in recent time. International tourists arrivals has increased by 2.7% in 2009 over 2008 as compare to negative growth faced by world tourism industry.
With strong government efforts and increasing popularity of Turkey as a tourism destination, the international tourist arrivals in Turkey is expected to increase at a health rate of over 10% in coming four years, with outbound and domestic tourism is also expected see the high growth rates.
Medical tourism is expected to see a maximum growth in coming years. Medical tourists are expected to increase by over 20% in coming years. Increasing healthcare costs in European countries and developing healthcare infrastructure in Turkey will drive the growth of medical tourism in Turkey. A part from that marine tourism and golf tourism is also expected to see a huge growth in coming years.
Turkey tourism industry by 2013 report provides an insight into the Turkish tourism market. It evaluates the past, present and future scenario of the Turkish tourism market and discusses the key factors which are making Turkey a potential tourism destination. Report deeply analysed the different parameters of tourism industry, including inbound tourism, domestic tourism, outbound tourism, medical tourism, hotel industry etc.
Report provides the future forecast till 2013 for the major tourism indicators. Report also covers the major players in the tourism industry including major hotel chains and airlines.”
Source: Earthtimes.org
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