Over the past few years there have been talks about Goa becoming a medical tourism destination. Medical tourism is when people travel to a place specifically for medical treatment.Usually it happens when domestic costs are very expensive in comparison to others places. For an example, Many US nationals travel to India to avail medical facilities which are much cheaper in regards to the US itself.
For an instance, “80% billigare an skandinaviska priser” read a sign board in the coastal belt. The sentence in Swedish when translated in English reads “80% Cheaper than Scandinavian prices”. From the various reports on the papers and statistics provided by the hospitals it can be derived as Goa is becoming a destination for medical treatment which otherwise in the country of origin would cost a lot.
According to a report published by Goastreets in 2013, medical professionals mention of people arriving from countries like US, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Britain, Ireland, German and Belgium. The report further mentions that foreign patients visited Goa to undergo procedures such as plastic surgery (liposuction, breast implants or reduction, face-lifts), surgeries like hernias, goiters, joint replacements, cataracts, endoscopic spinal surgery, brain surgery and dental treatment.
A local Goan dentist quoted in another report by Economics times publish on April 21, 2016 said that around 20% of his customers are foreign nationals and he has been receiving them for the past 32 years. The foreign customers go on to recommend him to their friends and relatives.
The same report has quoted Director of Tourism saying that medical tourism is an upcoming segment which is encouraged by both government and private sector. He went on to add that Goa Medical College run-by the Goa government offers specialized treatment in order to attract patients from across the globe.
According to figures released by Medical Tourism Association, India’s medical tourism industry has been growing at the rate of 30% since 2011 and is expected to receive half a million medical tourist in 2015.
