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Back Ground to a new concept of Indian
Medical outsourcing
India can earn $1 billion from medical
tourism
India could earn more than $1 billion annually and create
40 million new jobs by sub-contracting work from the British
National Health Service, the head of India's largest chain
of private hospitals.
Houston-trained Dr Prathap C Reddy, chairman, Apollo Hospitals,
also said he was waiting for a reply to his proposal to carry
out operations at a fraction of what they would cost in the
United Kingdom. They include surgery for hip and knee replacements
and coronary bypass that would slash waiting times dramatically,
reducing the queues of British patients waiting to see their
doctors."We have well equipped, state-of-the-art hospitals
and we can offer the same level of care as anywhere else in
the world," Dr Reddy said. "There is no reason why
we should not become the healthcare destination of the world."
India's healthcare industry is growing at 30 per cent annually
and the Apollo group alone has so far treated 95,000 international
patients, many of whom are of Indian origin. Reddy cited two
recent cases of UK nationals who opted for private healthcare
at the Apollo network. One of them -- Cyril Parry, a 50-year-old
man from Birmingham -- successfully underwent hip replacement
surgery at Apollo, Chennai. The other -- Buckingham Palace
employee Elaine Ackrill -- was also treated at the Chennai
Apollo for cancer of the uterine cervix.
Medical treatment in the UK is free under the NHS, but because
of the long waiting times some patients opt for expensive
private care. The advantage of Reddy's offer is that is that
it would reduce pressure on the NHS and offer sub-contracted
healthcare at vastly cheaper rates.
Earlier this year, Apollo was represented at a London meeting
that was also attended by a UK government health adviser and
private healthcare providers from South Africa, Australia,
India and the UK. The consensus at the London meeting was
that the UK needed consultants and registrars to come over
on short-term contracts before returning to their home countries.
The Apollo team responded with a counter offer of a medical
tourism package that would cut waiting times for surgery in
the UK. "They have a one million waiting list for all
kinds of things, especially orthopaedic surgery," explained
an Apollo spokesman.
"After this million people, there are thousands of expatriates.
Not necessarily Indian, but expatriates who may be given the
opportunity to come and get themselves operated in India where
we are planning to give them what is called health tourism."
"The orthopaedic surgery we are offering is mainly knee
and hip replacement. I can't tell you how many are involved,
but they have done a pilot study and given various break-ups."
SOURCES:
http://us.rediff.com/money/2003/dec/06health.htm
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