India could be new destination for Joint Transplant operations for Canadians

With the backing of Indian Government, Private sector in health care is participating in Health Care Conference in Toronto next month to promote India as a destination for medical tourism. The conference slated over three days hopes to attract attention of Canadians. The entry to the conference would be free and it would be held at Toronto's Metro Convention Centre.
 
Ms Saran, consul general in Toronto told reporters that Medical tourism in India is one of the best options available to people across the globe. Millions come every year to get treated.
 
India is latest entrant in medical tourism sector where hitherto countries like Mexico, Cuba, Thailand and Singapore are aggressively promoting their own medical industry. Though China is also growing fast in this segment, language barrier is coming in its way. On the contrary, India is better poised in the segment. Armed with large number of well trained doctors and hospitals equipped with modern medical facilities, India is ready to stake claim for a larger slice of the booming global medical tourism industry.
 
According to report by Deloitte, the medical tourism industry worldwide would grow to $100-billion by 2010 with more than 35 countries attracting patients-tourists from across the globe. As per its estimates, the cost of medical procedures in India cost just 20 per cent of what the same operation would cost in the United States.
 
Though most of the consumers in US are not cost conscious, yet the confidence in the quality of health care in India is growing. Moreover with Canadians looking to avoid long wait times are looking elsewhere for medical treatment.
 
While most medical procedures are covered by Canada's health care system, patients frustrated with long wait times or those seeking alternative treatments are increasingly travelling abroad for medical care.
 
Immediate competition to India is coming from USA which is fast expanding its medical facilities.  However for certain treatments as spinal or gastric-bypass (bariatric) surgery are much cheaper in India than in the U.S.
 
For example, a hip resurfacing operation, that would cost between $35,000 and $40,000 in the U.S. costs just $14,000 (Canadian) in India, including air fare, taxes, and a post-op stay at a five-star beach resort.
 
Provincial health care systems such as OHIP in Ontario generally don't cover the costs of medical tourism although some patients have appealed and won the cost of treatment overseas. However, there have been several precedents of people legally getting their rights but now insurance companies are quietly paying for some of the cases.