The Great Indian Journey
The countries where medical tourism is being actively promoted
include Thailand, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Brazil, Turkey,
Taiwan, Costa Rica, South Africa etc. India is a recent entrant into
medical tourism. Medical tourism has been identified as a national
industry in over 50 countries including India. The concept of health
holidays is fast getting popular in these countries as it offers an
opportunity to get away from your daily routine and madding
crowds to an entirely different ambience of pure air and
enchanting surroundings. In countries like India a health tourist
can have the best and most economical world class treatment in
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the backdrop of the most exotic urban, semi urban and rural
locations blessed with exotic beaches and mountains and river
banks. At the same time you are able to receive an orientation
that will help you improve your life in terms of your health and
general well being. It is like a rejuvenation of all sorts including
physical, mental and emotional. India’s 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