Kerala Tradition & Fascinating Destinations 2014 Kerala Tradition & Destinations 2014 | Page 380

billion to the economy. Since the medical treatment costs in the developed
world skyrocketing with the United States leading the way, more and more
Westerners are finding the prospect of international travel for medical
care increasingly appealing. An estimated 150,000 Westerners travel to
India for low-priced healthcare procedures every year. Advantages for
medical tourists include reduced costs, the availability of latest medical
technologies and a growing compliance on international quality standards,
as well as the fact that foreigners are less likely to face a language
barrier in India. The Indian government is taking steps to address
infrastructure issues that hinder the country’s growth in medical tourism.
Most estimates claim treatment costs in India start at around a tenth of
the price of comparable treatment in America or Britain. The most popular
treatments sought in India by medical tourists are alternative medicine,
bone-marrow transplant, cardiac bypass, eye surgery and hip replacement.
India is known in particular for heart surgery, hip resurfacing and other
areas of advanced medicine. Due to the increase in the cost for medical
treatments, it has become inevitable for people to travel away from home,
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MEDICAL TOURISM|TRADITION AND DESTINATIONS