Medical Tourism in India: Perspective of Unani Medicine

Abstract

Medical tourism has emerged as a one of the trending markets across the globe. It encompasses primarily and predominantly biomedical procedures, combined with travel and tourism such as when consumers elect to travel across international borders to receive some form of medical treatment, which may span the full range of medical services. Though travelling abroad for health benefits is not a recent concept, it has gained more momentum and media interest in the last decades. India is one of the major contributors in this industry. Towering medical costs, high insurance premiums, increasing number of uninsured and under insured people in developed nations, long waiting period in the home country, availability of high quality health care services at affordable rate, and internet/communication channels in developing countries, cheaper air fares, and the diversity of tourist destinations available in the country are the driving forces of the outbound medical tourism. Currently, India hosts about 1.27 million medical tourists from industrialized countries like UK and USA and from its neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and China. Its foreign exchange earnings from medical tourism are around US $1.8 billion. The Indian systems of medicine (ISM), i.e. Ayurveda, Unani, Yoga and Naturopathy, Siddha, etc., are among the most ancient systems of medical treatment, of the world. Medical tourism holds immense hope for development and promotion of Indian systems of medicine (ISM) worldwide, besides contributing to foreign exchange earnings. In fact, ISM systems are one of the elements of basic structure of medical tourism in India. India can provide medical and health care at international standard at comparatively low cost. This paper recognizes the perspectives of Unani system of medicine for medical tourism sector of India and explores the possible role of central council for research in Unani medicine (CCRUM) in hosting medical tourism centres in India. Finally, this paper analyses and concludes the scope of Unani medicine in medical tourism by which India can attracts more number of foreign tourists for the medical treatment.

Keywords: Medical tourism, Unani, Siddha, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy

Cite this Article

Farah Naaz, Noman Khan. Medical Tourism in India: Perspective of Unani Medicine. Journal of AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy. 2016; 5(3): 52–60p.