tendants . The affordability of Indian specialized medical care mainly derives from an efficient locally trained health workforce , locally manufactured drugs / high-end equipment , and government facilitation / incentives .
To illustrate the impact local drug manufacturing has on patient care , India manufactures generic pharmaceuticals at a much lower cost compared to most countries in the West . For example , Cipla pharmaceuticals , one of the largest Indian pharmaceutical firms , reduced the cost of HIV / AIDS antiretroviral medications to less than a dollar per day , cutting the cost of antiretroviral ( ARV ) drugs per person from around $ 12,000 to less than $ 365 per year .
On top of providing a digital healthcare platform for medical care seekers that includes travel and hospital-related information , India ’ s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has gone an extra mile to ensure that healthcare partnerships are established with Africa in 2002 through its Focus Africa Programme , which includes access to pharmaceutical products , among other trade items .
The South African government , on the other hand , has realized that there is a huge demand in intra-regional South-South medical tourism , far more significant , in terms of numbers and money , than the North-South movement . These movements have primarily been between private medical institutions that refer complicated cases or people who travel individually in search of medical care to medical institutions / facilities where they can get help . This large influx of informal medical tourists , particularly from neighbouring countries , compelled the South African government to establish agreements for medical travel to its public hospitals and clinics via inter-country agreements in order to recover the cost of treating non-residents .
Although there is still room for improvement , South Africa along with Kenya and Ghana are good examples of inter-regional medical tourism attraction as they play a major role in their respective regions .
The major factors contributing to robust medical tourism are varied , ranging from political stability to travel facilitation . They also include public and private health infrastructure investment , international accreditation and quality standards , low-cost medical procedures , social security and stability , good tourism infrastructure , healthcare innovation and advanced medical technology , experienced staff , among many . These can only be achieved under an atmosphere of clear political will .
Dentistry , cosmetic , orthopaedic and cardiovascular surgery ; cancer treatment ; reproductive and specialized scans and tests ; health screenings ; and second opinions are among the most sought-for specialities for medical tourists around the world .
For the most part , medical tourism relies on the ability of tourism providers / countries to optimize the patient ’ s experience throughout their already difficult medical journey . An online presence , fast medical visas , the cost of the medical packages , travel costs , hospital stay , surgery fee , and companion ’ s accommodation cost are some of the basic factors that impact medical tourist attraction .
Healthcare is indeed not just about health ; it is an integral part of the economy . And the sooner African leaders understand this , the closer the achievement of attractive medical tourism in Africa will be .
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Gateka Ndayisaba is a Burundian national . He works in the health sector .
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