Medical tourism can be broadly defined as provision of cost
effective private medical care in collaboration with
the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and other
forms of specialized treatment. This process is being facilitated
by the corporate sector involved in medical care as well as
the tourism industry - both private and public.
In many developing countries it is being actively promoted
by the governments official policy. Indias National
Health policy 2002, for example, says: To capitalise
on the comparative cost advantage enjoyed by domestic health
facilities in the secondary and tertiary sector, the policy
will encourage the supply of services to patients of foreign
origin on payment. The rendering of such services on payment
in foreign exchange will be treated as deemed exports
and will be made eligible for all fiscal incentives extended
to export earnings. The formulation draws from recommendations
that the corporate sector has been making in India and specifically
from the Policy Framework for Reforms in Health Care,
drafted by the prime ministers Advisory Council on Trade
and Industry, headed by Mukesh Ambani and Kumaramangalam Birla.
Medical Tourism in India,
Medical Tourism Industry in
India, Medical Tourism
Industry Growth in India, Medical
Tourism in India, Public
Health Services Medical Tourism
in India, Medical Treatment
in India, Health Care in India,
Treatment in India
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