Iran medical tourism vs India
A combination of several factors has led to the upward growth of people’s tendency to medical travel, including the high cost of living in industrialized countries, the ease of international travel, and the improvement of technology and medical standards in many countries of the world. One reason for the attraction towards medical travel is the treatment convenience compared to other countries. According to the Medical Tourism Guide of Kental Travel, in some countries where the public health service system is common, it usually takes a lot of time to respond to the needs of citizens and patients have to wait for a long time for their condition to be addressed. Conditions such as hip joint transplant, which in England and Canada have to wait a year or more. But in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, or Bangladesh, India, a patient can receive care and treatment a day after arrival.
Among the reasons that make people travel for the purpose of treatment, one can mention the low cost of medical care, the search for a specialist and experienced doctor, the appropriate package of medical services, safety and shorter waiting time for treatment. In Canada, in 2005, the number of people waiting for treatment was 782,936, which is a world record. The number of these people in South Africa was less than a tenth lower than in the United States of America or Western Europe.
Medical tourism in India
In this Kental Travel article, we examine India’s health tourism in this section, and of course we know that many other countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Bulgaria, etc. are very aggressive competitors who are in close competition with countries active in this international business.
India is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Especially in the field of heart surgery and femur transplant and other medical fields, India is known as a world leader in the field of medical services. During the years 2005 and 2006, no country has been comparable to India in the field of medical tourism, and the government and the private sector of India is aware of the goal of promoting medical tourism services and turning the Indian subcontinent into a single hub in this field. In India, after the software industry, medical tourism can be considered the most successful industry. The current market size of this tourism in India is more than 333 million dollars and by 2014 it was more than one billion dollars.
Indian health tourism has become a very competitive situation. Several reasons such as adaptability and flexibility to global demand and competitiveness of this country, along with cheap medical services, have caused the growth of this industry in this country.
It may not be necessary to repeat that after the Asian economic crisis of 1997, the practice of health tourism changed from the form of an industry and luxury to another sector, and that was the successful entry of Asian countries into this industry.
Now, along with European countries and other expensive destinations, many Asian countries had become attractive and cheap medical tourism centers.
The main reason for the arrival of medical tourists from developed countries to developing countries was the long wait to receive a visa or medical services in Western countries, the weakness of medical insurance to cover all medical services and the high cost of treatment, etc.
Medical tourism is one of the economic sectors of India which has a significant growth every year. The annual growth rate of this country was 30% and by 2015, it had become a 2 billion dollar industry, and the number of medical tourists in this country reached 460,000 in 2015 and 2016.
What is the reason for the success of health tourism in India?
- Low cost of skilled labor
- Modern medical technologies
- Appropriate quality of medical services
- The use of the English language by the masses
The lack of infrastructure development was one of the problems of Indian health tourism that the Indian government committed to solving this problem and prioritizing this growing and developing industry.
According to the ASSOCHAM study, about 850,000 tourists entered the country in 2011, and this number increased to 3,200,000 in 2015.
Bone marrow transplantation, alternative medicine, heart bypass, hip joint replacement and eye surgeries are the most requested medical services in this country.
Among the Indian cities, Bangalore in Tamil Nadu and Chennai in Karnataka are the most famous health tourism destinations in India.
Bangalore has famous hospitals like Apollo, Columba Asia, Fortis Hospitals and Manipal Hospitals.
Also in Chennai, Aleppo Group, Billroth Hospitals, Frontier Lifeline Hospitals, Global Health City and Madras Medical Boards are the most popular providers of healthcare.
In Delhi and Mumbai where attract many local and international tourists and in many cases, important and prominent hospitals have exclusive rights in this regard.
Medical tourism in Iran
Iran and specifically Tehran has become the capital and an attractive destination in the field of cosmetic surgery in the world, especially nose surgery. In 2017, the income of Iran’s health tourism industry was estimated at 1.7 billion dollars, which is expected to reach 4 billion dollars by 2020.
The majority of tourists who choose Iran as a destination are from neighboring countries such as Iraq, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Oman, Kuwait and Afghanistan, and are looking for cosmetic surgery, eye surgery, infertility treatment, open heart surgery, spine surgery and organ transplantation.
Other groups are from more advanced countries and come to Iran mostly for cosmetic surgery, especially nose job, weight loss surgery, plastic surgery, hair transplant and breast implant surgery. Of course, these are only a few examples.
Why do tourists choose health tourism in Iran?
Iran is rapidly becoming a health tourism hub in the Middle East and perhaps in the world, especially for cosmetic surgeries!
1- Affordable services
Years of struggling with inflation have significantly reduced the value of the Iranian currency compared to the dollar and the euro. Now, a total rhinoplasty package in Iran is approximately 90% cheaper than surgery in the United States.
2- World class medical facilities
Choosing a medical career has the most demand among Iranians. A lot of enthusiasm in this field has made hospitals and clinics always seek to improve their facilities and provide advanced technologies for their employees and patients.
3- Talented and experienced surgeons
Most specialists in Iran receive their medical degrees from renowned schools in the United States, Europe, and Iran, and after years of serious training, they face a thirsty market. In addition, the high number of applicants for cosmetic surgery has increased the skill of Iranian doctors and some of our famous surgeons perform more than 3 surgeries a day. This issue has also attracted the attention of foreigners looking for beauty treatments.
4- Fast and available services
Providing fast services in response to people’s needs is one of the important factors in attracting health tourists. As a medical tourist, you don’t have to miss the chance of timely treatment by staying on the waiting list. One of the advantages in Iran is the possibility of receiving medical services quickly and without appointments.
5- Traditional and alternative methods
Iran has a long history in traditional medical methods with a clear vision. Many traditional herbal treatments are still an integral part of Iranians’ daily life.
Iran is also a land of hot spas, volcanic mud and mineral springs around which many medical resorts have been built to make it easy for enthusiasts to take advantage of their benefits.
6- Rich history, outstanding culture and charming landscape
The outstanding aspect of health tourism is its combination with other activities. A medical tourist in Iran can have enjoyable experiences. The first Iranian government dates back to 4000 BC, and since then Iran has hosted many rulers and dynasties, whose relics can still be found in every corner of this land. Also, due to the unique and diverse nature of our country, Iran, is a unique choice for anyone who is interested in spending an attractive vacation.
7- Government support and visa facilitation
After discovering its potential in medical tourism as an income for the economic prosperity of the country, the government of Iran supported this industry and granted licenses for international patients to about 200 hospitals. The Medical Tourism Guide unit of Kental Travel is also ready to launch and improve the quality level of this department in hospitals across the country.
Iranian leaders have also started a visa waiver program and are moving towards easing the tedious process of obtaining visas. Despite the high quality of medical services and cheap prices, health tourism in Iran has not yet found its place in the market due to the lack of proper advertising and is taking the first steps. While the government, according to its plans, must provide 30% of the country’s medical needs by the end of the fourth development plan through the export of goods, medical services and medical tourism. Meanwhile, Iran has important competitors in the region. Among Iran’s important competitors in the Persian Gulf, Jordan and Dubai can be mentioned. The country of Jordan has 500 million dollars in foreign currency income from medical tourism every year. Dubai has launched health cities a few years ago and has signed contracts with some of the most prestigious universities in the world for the development of these centers.
