Medical tourism refers to people traveling abroad to obtain medical treatment. In the past, this usually referred to those who traveled from less-developed countries to major medical centers in highly developed countries for treatment unavailable at home. However, in recent years it may equally refer to those from developed countries who travel to developing countries for lower-priced medical treatments. The motivation may be also for medical services unavailable or non-licensed in the home country: There are differences between the medical agencies world-wide which decide whether a drug is approved in their country or not. Even within Europe, although therapy protocols might be approved by the European Medical Agency (EMA), several countries have their own review organizations in order to evaluate whether the same therapy protocol would be "cost-effective", so that patients face differences in the therapy protocols, particularly in the access of these drugs, which might be partially explained by the financial strength of the particular Health System.
The Joint Commission is a United States-based nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c) organization that accredits more than 22,000 US health care organizations and programs. The international branch accredits medical services from around the world. A majority of US state governments recognize Joint Commission accreditation as a condition of licensure for the receipt of Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements.
Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited is an Indian multinational healthcare group headquartered in Chennai. Along with the eponymous hospital chain, the company also operates pharmacies, primary care and diagnostic centres, telehealth clinics, and digital healthcare services among others through its subsidiaries.
Hospital accreditation has been defined as “A self-assessment and external peer assessment process used by health care organizations to accurately assess their level of performance in relation to established standards and to implement ways to continuously improve”. Critically, accreditation is not just about standard-setting: there are analytical, counseling and self-improvement dimensions to the process. There are parallel issues in evidence-based medicine, quality assurance and medical ethics, and the reduction of medical error is a key role of the accreditation process. Hospital accreditation is therefore one component in the maintenance of patient safety. However, there is limited and contested evidence supporting the effectiveness of accreditation programs.
National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers), abbreviated as NABH, is a constituent board of Quality Council of India (QCI), set up to establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organizations. Formed in 2005, it is the principal accreditation for hospitals in India.
Medical tourism is a growing sector in India. In mid–2020, India's medical tourism sector was estimated to be worth US$5–6 billion. In 2017, 495,056 patients visited India to seek medical care. According to a report from 2019 by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Ernst & Young, most of the medical tourist arrivals in India were from Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, and SAARC region. India also receives significant number of medical tourists from Australia, Canada, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Gurugram is the medical tourism hub followed by Chennai which is known as the healthcare capital of India.
The Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre is a private hospital located in Bandra, Mumbai, India. The hospital was established in 1978 by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust.
Sterling Hospitals is the largest chain of corporate hospitals in Gujarat. It is owned and managed by Sterling AddLife India Pvt Ltd. In Ahmedabad it has 310 beds, 7 major operation theatres and 84 ICU beds.
PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research is a teaching hospital and research institute located in Peelamedu, Coimbatore. It was established in 1985 as a part of PSG Group. It has NABH accreditation. PSG Hospitals, a 1400-bed, tertiary care hospital was recently awarded with JCI prime certification and has become the first hospital in TamilNadu to receive the accreditation. The hospital is affiliated to the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and has been recognized as an institution that offers students with multiple facilities at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. PSG Institute of Paramedical Sciences and Nursing are associated with the institute.
The Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, known in short as the MIOT International Hospital, is a multi-specialty hospital in Manapakkam, Chennai, India. It is a specialty hospital in the field of joint replacement surgeries, Interventional Cardiology, orthopaedics and trauma. Founded by P. V. A. Mohandas, the hospital was established in February 1999 on a 14-acre (5.7 ha) land with German collaboration, with an initial investment of ₹500,000. The hospital has 1000 beds and employs 170 physicians. It receives nearly 3,500 foreign patients every year, contributing 25 percent of the hospital's patients. North and East Africa account for many of these foreign patients.
Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), also known as Amrita Hospital, is a super-speciality quaternary care health centre and medical school in Kochi, India. It is one of the largest medical facilities in the country with a total built-up area of over 3.33 million sq.ft, spread over 125 acres of land. It is a 1,350-bed hospital which supports an annual patient volume of about 800,000 outpatients and 50,000 inpatients. It was inspired by Mata Amritanandamayi and inaugurated on 17 May 1998 by the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Mata Amritanandamayi Math is its parent organisation. Ron Gottsegen is the executive director and Prem Nair is the medical director of AIMS. Dr.(Col). Vishal Marwaha is the Principal/Dean of AIMS.
Healthcare in Chennai is provided by both government-run and private hospitals. Chennai attracts about 45 percent of health tourists from abroad arriving in the country and 30 to 40 percent of domestic health tourists. The city has been termed India's health capital. Multi- and super-specialty hospitals across the city bring in an estimated 150 international patients every day. Factors behind the tourists' inflow in the city include low costs, little to no waiting period, and facilities offered at the speciality hospitals in the city.
Spastic Society of Gurgaon covers within its scope the programs on occupational therapy, counseling, vocational training and psychotherapy of the children with autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities in Haryana, India. It is India's first non-profit disability sector organization which was awarded ISO certification by United Kingdom Accreditation Service: United Registrar of Systems for quality of services rendered by it. It also works in the field of imparting counseling and psychotherapy to the parents and guardians of the disabled children. Mass camps are conducted for welfare of children with disabilities. Multiple single window services like assistance in issuance of disability certificates, NIRAMAYA cashless insurance cards, medical check ups, distribution of medicines and medical aids are rendered to disabled people in such camps. Being sponsored by Haryana Government it undertakes disability audits of organizations for assessing accessibility compliance by them.
Believers Church Medical College Hospital (BCMCH) is a healthcare institution of Believers eastern Church based in Thiruvalla, Kerala, India. The Medical College is attached to a 743-bed, multi-speciality hospital. The Medical College, established in 2016, is situated in a campus of about 25 acres (10 ha) connected by rail and road.
CIMS Hospital is a 300-bed super specialty hospital located on the Science City Road, Sola, Ahmedabad.
Rajagiri Hospital is a multi-specialty tertiary care hospital in the south Indian city of Kochi, Kerala. Established in 2014, it is owned and managed by Rajagiri (CMI) group of institutions. It is one of the few hospitals in the country with both JCI and NABH accreditation.
D Y Patil Hospital or D.Y.P.H.R.C. is a charitable hospital in Navi Mumbai, India. It was founded in 2004 by Shri Dnyandeo Yashwantrao Patil. It has 1500 beds dedicated to charity, a 300-bed ICU facility, 15 operation theatres, a 24x7 charitable casualty and trauma centre. It has a blood bank that is accredited by NABH. The hospital is one of the largest charitable hospitals in India.
Paras Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. is a chain of hospitals providing specialized tertiary medical care. The first Paras Hospital was opened in Gurgaon in 2006. Over the years, the healthcare organization has set up its specialty centers in Chandigarh, Panchkula, Darbhanga, and Patna with a total of 730 beds.
Sri Ramakrishna Hospital is a 1000-bedded multi-specialty hospital located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The hospital was started in 1975. Sri Ramakrishna Hospital was established and is run by the SNR Sons Trust that was founded in the year 1970 by Mr. R. Doraiswamy Naidu (RD) and Sevaratna Dr. R. Venkatesalu, sons of Sri. S.N. Rangasamy Naidu. The trust successfully runs 15 organizations that caters to the social causes of society primarily focusing on Health Care, Education and Service.
The Ahalia Health Heritage and Knowledge Village, managed by the Ahalia International Foundation, is one of the largest edu-health campus in Kerala, India. It is headquartered in the city of Palakkad. The organization, which started as an eye hospital in 2005, now has more than 11 regional eye care branches all over the state.
