Kerala Tradition & Fascinating Destinations 2014 Kerala Tradition & Destinations 2014 | 页面 384

compete with the best healthcare facilities anywhere in the world, on any
given day. This is not a recent phenomenon. While the well endowed
went abroad to treat their loved ones, many sought the South India’s
medical facilities that were state of the art and cheaper at the same time.
Medical disciplines that especially drew the crowds were neurosurgery
and an array of alternative medical and healthcare systems. These
alternate methods of treatment were proven and practiced for over
centuries as compared to the comparatively newfound allopathic stream.
Besides the state-of-the-art medical facilities in South India, the region
and the country of India greatly benefit from the premiere research and
training institutes of South India. For instance, the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc) at Bangalore is busy decoding the genetic pool when it gets
time from exploring the various facets and the possible applications of
nanotechnology - a revolution in non-invasive therapy. Medical tourism
has rapidly become a more popular way of travelling to South India with
the advantage of cost-effective medical facilities amidst the spectacular
sceneries afforded by the picturesque location of the hospitals and
healthcare centres. Medical Tourism in South India is centered on Specialty
Hospitals, Cardiac Care, General Surgery, Dental Care, Fertility Treatment,
Transplant Surgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic Treatment and Alternative
Medicines like Ayurveda. South India is the area encompassing India’s
states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as
the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry, occupying 19.31% of
India’s area.
Amazing Strides in Medical Tourism
With India developing itself as a medical tourism destination, the South
Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the most sought
after health travel destinations of choice. Over the years, these states
have established themselves as prominent destinations of world leisure
tourism mainly on account of their natural beauty and cultural assets.
Ayurveda sector took some collective effort to convert these states as
global destinations for healthcare. Then Dentistry and Modern Medicine
sectors also followed the suit. A recent study has found that the choice of
treatment of Medical Tourists is different. While Medical Tourists from
Germany, France, Switzerland and USA etc. give more importance to
Ayurveda, those from Middle East, UK, Germany and Canada etc. give more
importance to Modern Medicine. There are many factors which attract
medical tourists to the Southern India.
Excellent Hospital Networks
South India has more private institutions participating in Medical Tourism.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has been attempting to bring several
medical institutions under one umbrella. They have already succeeded in
bringing more hospitals under the umbrella of medical tourism. CII started
medical tourism promotion in South India with several hospitals. These
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MEDICAL TOURISM|TRADITION AND DESTINATIONS