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Kumbalgodu, Mysore Road, Bangalore

Project on

A study on Medical Tourism Awareness among the MBA

students in Bengaluru

SUBMITTED BY

Prashant A Patil

P03CQ21M0107
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this project on “A study on Medical Tourism Awareness

among the MBA students in Bengaluru” is an independent study carried out by
me during my project under the guidance of Dr. Kumar K R. This project was fully
prepared by me on my own and has not been published elsewhere until now.
I also declare that this project report has not been submitted to any other university
or for the award of any other degree or diploma.

Date:

Place: Belgaum Prashant A Patil

Research title - A study on Medical Tourism Awareness among the MBA students in Bengaluru
Introduction

Traveling for medical care is becoming more and more common as an alternative for treatment.
The growth of the industry is happening rapidly in today's society, with the development of the
Medical Tourism Association. This has helped to take the idea of going to another country for
treatment, from being a far out and sometimes scary thought to making a lot of sense to patients
insured and uninsured. With hospitals becoming accredited and some insurance companies
offering this to clients. it has become a very reputable and smart way to get the care you need.
This industry has already grown exponentially in the last few years: one can only imagine what
is to come in the future.

Medical tourism is the term commonly used to describe the phenomenon of people traveling
outside their home country primarily for the purpose of seeking medical treatment.4, 5
Traditionally, international medical travel was done by patients from less developed countries to
major medical centers in a developed country for treatment that was not available in their home
country. However, the term ‘medical tourism’ generally refers to people from developed
countries traveling to less developed countries for medical care. In a recent Hastings Center
Report, Cohen suggested separating medical tourism into three types:

▪ Services that are illegal in both the patient's home country and the destination country, such as
organ sales

▪ Services that are illegal in the patient's home country but legal in the destination country, such
as some stem cell therapies

▪ Services that are legal in both the patient's home country and the destination country, such as
joint replacement.

Each of these types of medical tourism presents different ethical and other issues for clinicians
working with patients considering traveling for these services.

History and growth of medical tourism

Throughout history people have traveled long distances for health care. In ancient Greece, for
example, worshippers of Asclepius, the Greco-Roman god of medicine, would make pilgrimages
to his temple in Epidaurus, where they would undergo healing through “incubation rituals,”
which were rooted in prayer, fasting, and ceremony. Likewise, spas and public baths have long
been popular destinations for those seeking medical cures. In the 17th century the emergence of
spa towns in appealing settings like the Pyrenees attracted wealthy people from all over Europe.
In later centuries, as travel and tourism increased, spas and health resorts in countries worldwide
often attracted clientele from overseas. In addition, the establishment of facilities such as the
nonprofit Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., provided new opportunities for patients in need of
treatments and surgical procedures not available elsewhere.

The practice of traveling internationally for surgery, however, is a relatively recent phenomenon.
For example, Costa Rica experienced an influx of foreigners seeking cosmetic and dental surgery
in the 1980s. By the 1990s physicians there actively worked to attract foreign patients, offering
various types of plastic surgery, from face-lifts to liposuction, at low cost. Near the end of the
first decade of the 21st century, an estimated 20,000–25,000 medical tourists visited Costa Rica,
representing a significant increase over previous years. That growth appeared to parallel the
worldwide boom in medical tourism that took place in the early 21st century. In 2010, for
example, nearly 1.5 million Americans traveled outside their country for medical care—nearly
twice the number from just three years earlier.

Medical Tourism Destinations

Asia/Middle East – China, India, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan,
Turkey, United Arab Emirates.

The Americas – Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, United States.

Europe – Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, ,
Spain, Romania.

Africa - South Africa, Tunisia.

Other - Australia, Cuba, Jamaica, Barbados.

Medical Tourism in India

India is recognized worldwide for its excellence in the medical sector. Medical Tourism in India
has boosted significantly in past years and has also attained remarkable results. Offering quality
healthcare at a reasonable cost, India’s medical tourism sector is growing at a fast pace.
Innumerable people from diverse and remote corners of the world have benefited from the
medical services provided in India. Interestingly, the count is still on.

Trying in the noble cause of serving mankind, Mediconnect India is a one-stop portal offering a
wide range of medical treatments in India. Unbeatable expertise, world-class doctors, numerous
years of experience and best hospitals help us to lead in the field of medical tourism in India.
Mediconnect India offers pocket-friendly treatment packages in India to the patient. Besides this,
it is also ensured that the patient and accompanying person enjoy a comfortable stay in India that
helps them to recuperate fast.

India in the recent years has emerged as a major hub for medical tourism and is now considered
amongst the top 6 medical value travel destinations in the world. Foreign tourism arrivals for
medical purposes have increased from 1,39,447 in 2014 to 4,95,056 in 2017. Some of the factors
which make India a compelling destination for medical travel are reputed health care
professionals and hospitals, English speaking health care workers, cutting edge global
technology, personalized service, lower cost, lesser waiting time and rich cultural and leisure
destinations.

It is estimated that value of medical tourism to India is likely to reach USD 9 billion by 2020.

The number of Medical Visas issued by this Consulate in 2016 was 523 and in 2017 were 545.

Factors attracting medical tourist to India

Medical tourism is growing by 30% each year. Chennai is named the "Health capital of India, as
it attracts 45% of medical tourist due to the number of multi and super-speciality hospitals, It is
estimated that Chennai has approximately 150 international patients every day. The various
factors which attract medical tourists to India are:
1. Cost - India provides the highest quality healthcare at the lowest price. The cost of treatment
in India is one-tenth the cost of the same treatment in the US/UK. For example, a Heart Bypass
cost approximately $ 123,000 in the US, whereas in India, it costs roughly $7900

2. Quality - India provides treatment of high quality using the latest technology and technique,
India has 28 JCI accredited hospitals

3. Waiting time - In developed countries like the US, UK, and Canada's patients have to wait for
major surgeries. India has no waiting time or very little waiting time for surgeries.

4. Language - Despite linguistic diversity in India English is an official language. Due to which
communication becomes easy with foreign patients as it international language.

5. Travel - The government of India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry
of Tourism are working hard to make India a more prominent medical destination. For this
purpose, a medical visa (M-visa) has been introduced, which allows a medical tourist to be in
India for a specific period A visa on arrival is granted for citizens from a few countries, letting
them stay in India for 30 days.

How to attract medical tourists and the cost involved

The cost of hosting an international patient depends upon factors like the medical intervention
needed, hospital and physician selected for it and duration of stay. Medical tourism is a
competitive sector. A few things need to be done to attract medical students

1. Invest in technology - Medical tourists get attracted to world-class healthcare facilities. You
need to invest wisely in providing the best practices and facilities. The cost for it depends on the
type of facility offered. For increasing accessibility, create an app for your hospital or clinic: it
will cost approximately 6 lakhs.

2. Have a strong online presence - Online marketing is essential in medical tourism. You need to
maintain a user-friendly and easy-to-understand website and blog. The cost of maintaining a
CMS website is approximately 15.000 rupees and a blog page will cost you approximately 500
rupees per year for a domain name and hosting, Answer queries; keep live chat option to be
accessible all time. Live chat cost approximately 1200 rupees per month. Be active on social
media like Facebook, LinkedIn etc. Facebook has an option of promoting a page, and it can cost
you 17.44 to 36.8 rupees per like.

3. Collaborate - Medical tourism is a team effort. You need to invest in collaborating with
hospitality partners representatives of the international health officials, etc.

Additional service to attract medical tourists

Apart from quality healthcare, medical tourists should provide other services to make their travel
and stay comfortable. Additional services to be provided for medical tourists are:

1. Quotation assistance - The quotation is a primary concern for a medical tourist. Physicians
should make an approximate quotation based upon the medical intervention and hospital stay
required.

2. Visa Assistance - A visa invitation letter is required to apply for a medical visa to India. Upon
receiving the required details, such as passport number via invitation letter should be issued for
prospective foreign patient.

3. Collaborate - Medical tourism is a team effort. You need to invest in collaborating with
hospitality partners representatives of the international health offices, etc.

4. Accommodation service - Comfort is essential, invest in it. Rooms for international patients
should be spacious and have 247 room service, laundry service internet, AC TV and meals
facility. Collaborate with a travel agency, five-star hotels guest house etc. to ensure comfort

5. Interpretation service - The staff hired for international patients should be fluent in speaking
English in the case of English-speaking patients, translators should be hired Payscale for
translators is approximately 4.2 lakh pa

6. Security service - Safety cannot be compromised Sufficient investment must be done for
hiring efficient manpower and using the latest technology

The rank of India in medical tourism

Due to the low-cost treatments available in India, it ranks at number 7 amongst the 20 wellness
tourism markets with over 560 lacs trips made to India for medical value tourism generating 16.3
billion USD in revenue. It also ranks at number 3 in wellness-focused countries in the Asia
Pacific.

Despite the Covid-19 travel restrictions, India had almost 2 lakhs, inbound tourists for medical
reasons in 2020. Although the numbers show a dip compared to previous years, the lift of the
travel ban in 2021 has already seen those waiting for treatments make it across borders and a
good number of them.

Tourists from Turkey, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Oman, Iraq, Maldives, Nigeria, and Kenya are
amongst the nations whose citizens visit India for medical tourism.

The Medical Value Tourism of India is surmised to reach USD 13 billion after the COVID
setback in 2020.

Treatments that international patients prefer for medical tourism in India

Though we are still waiting for official figures, the healthcare tourism industry in India is doing
exceptionally well in the following sectors:

 Oncology treatments.
 Organ transplants.
 Dental procedures like veneers, dental implants, dentures, maxillofacial surgeries, and so on.
 Cosmetics and Plastic surgery procedures like hair transplants, liposuction, rhinoplasty, skin
treatments, etc.

While these treatments are popular in India, the same procedures are also very popular in
Turkey, which is one among the most affordable countries you can choose for your medical tour.
To get deeper insights into the Medical tourism statistics in Turkey, Click here.

Cities for medical tourism in India

The government of India has set up facilitation centers for international tourists in Delhi,
Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore Hyderabad, Goa, and Kolkata.

These metro cities have been selected due to their :

 international connectivity
 ease of intercity commutation
  state-of-the-art infrastructure hospitals
 renowned and established doctors
 compassionate caregivers
 language
 food for all ethnicity
 affordable accommodation for pre and post-operative stay till you heal.

Covid 19 was a wake-up call for the country's failing infrastructure in tier II and tier III cities and
rural development.

The government of India was quick to act on this shortfall and made special provisions for loans
to build healthcare infrastructure in these cities.

Medical Tourism Company in India

India has many medical tourism companies operating 24*7 to provide services to medical
tourists. Some of the best medical tourism companies are listed below for your reference.

1. Vaidam, Gurgaon, India

2. Clinicspots, Mumbai, India

3. We Care Health Services, Mumbai, India

4. ARINAA Medical Tourism, Chennai, India

5. Mediniq, Bangalore, India.

6. Alphine Life Solutions, Mumbai, India

7. MediConnect India, New Delhi, India

8. TransEarth Medical Tourism, Mumbai, India

9. Health Opinion, Tamilnadu, India

10. ANAVARA, Chennai, India

India legal system medical tourism

Medical Tourism is completely legal in India. Under the governance of The National Medical
and Wellness Tourism Board, the Quality Council of India, and the Ministry of AYUSH, ensures
that NABH and Healthcare providers are functioning efficiently in the patient's interest to
increase the nation's credibility in the healthcare sector.

Growth of Medical Tourism in India

The Government of India has taken proactive steps to increase medical tourism in India.

 E-visa for tourists

 Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
 Gained strength and momentum in pharmaceuticals
 Preferred treatments in India by International Medical Tourists
 Cost-effectiveness.
 Preferred destinations
 Loans to hospital and hospitality sector
 Alternative Therapy
 Mystifying India

E-Visa: The Tourism ministry has provided 5 lakhs free visas to tourists up to March 2022,
whichever comes first.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: The government of India is strategically invested in the
growth of medical tourism by coming up with various schemes to invite patients to India, like

AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy),

 The government has 37 JCI accredited hospitals and 513 NABH hospitals listed to ensure
that India gives world-class health facilities.
 For 2021-2022, the government has allotted INR 29.7 billion. That is INR 8.48 billion
surpluses for medical infrastructure development compared to the previous year.
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission tracks and provides patients' digital records throughout all
hospitals, making it convenient to access their records on consent. Even international patients are
covered under this scheme.

They will also be able to take treatments and consult at the accredited hospitals enlisted.With all
these and many other steps taken by the government of India and Healthcare providing portals,
India has seen a substantial increase in the inbound medical tourism numbers.

Strength and Momentum: The healthcare industry in India is strongly supported by

 Pharmaceuticals and diagnostics,

 strong R & D and rehabilitation,
 advanced medical device manufacturers.

Together the 3 have contributed 2,53,000 million USD to India's revenue in the past decade and
are expected to be even stronger in the near future.

India exports medicines to 200 countries worldwide and is one of the most prominent players in
the pharmaceutical field. Thanks to the vaccines provide across the globe by India.

Alternative Therapy: Other than the mainstream medical assistance provided, India rules the
world in alternative therapy.

Ayurveda: The most traditional form of medicine: with the extensive blessings of flora and
fauna, India is fortunate to have the great father of Ayurveda medicine –Charak. His book
Charak Samhita is still a guide to Ayurveda medicine.

Yoga: The ultimate tool to physical fitness is synonymous with our beloved Adi-Yogi, Lord
Shankar.

Unani Medicine: It has it roots in Greece. Hakims are trained in India and run successful
practices widely in the Islamic community.

Siddha: It is a system of medicine mainly practiced in the south of India. It is derived from
“Siddhi - meaning to attain something beautiful or perfect." It treats not just the body but the soul
too. Agastya is believed to be the founding father of Siddha.
Homeopathy has its root in Germany and believes in the notion "like cures like"- the disease can
be cured by a substance that causes similar symptoms in a healthy person. Another notion it
follows is “the law of minimum dose”- the lower the dose, the greater its effectiveness.

Mystifying India: While India is proud to be the pioneer in Ayurveda and Yoga, it has
gracefully accepted the influence of other cultures that came to India with each invasion on its
land. North to South and East to West, the entire nation is under a wave of health care
development.

India is more than ready to embrace the opportunity of the health wave after dark times. Like the
prayer goes- "TamasyomaJyotirGamaya – lead us to light through the darkness."

SWOT analysis on Indian medical tourism

Strengths

• High Quality Service at economic cost

• Large pool of qualified doctors
• Visa on India arrival for patients from specific countries
• Strong presence in advanced healthcare e.g. cardiovascular, organ transplants – high
success rate in surgery
• International recognition and reputation of hospitals and Doctors
• Skilled, well behaved, professional nursing staff
• World class medical technology, equipment’s and facilities in India at par with world best
standards
• Diversity of tourism destinations
• Alternative treatment like yoga & Ayurveda

Weakness

Level of patient service not at

par
2. Tedious police verification
clause for medical tourists
3. Online preoperative
counselling facility not
frequently available
4. No mandatory
accreditation and regulation
system for hospitals
5. Low Coordination among
the various service
providers in the industry–
airline, hotels, travel agents
and hospitals
6. Complicated
disengagement of procedures
& bill settlement
7. No strong government
support / initiative to promote
medical tourism
Level of patient service not at
par
2. Tedious police verification
clause for medical tourists
3. Online preoperative
counselling facility not
frequently available
4. No mandatory
accreditation and regulation
system for hospitals
5. Low Coordination among
the various service
providers in the industry–
airline, hotels, travel agents
and hospitals
6. Complicated
disengagement of procedures
& bill settlement
7. No strong government
support / initiative to promote
medical tourism
Level of patient service not at
par
2. Tedious police verification
clause for medical tourists
3. Online preoperative
counselling facility not
frequently available
4. No mandatory
accreditation and regulation
system for hospitals
5. Low Coordination among
the various service
providers in the industry–
airline, hotels, travel agents
and hospitals
6. Complicated
disengagement of procedures
& bill settlement
7. No strong government
support / initiative to promote
medical tourism
Level of patient service not at
par
2. Tedious police verification
clause for medical tourists
3. Online preoperative
counselling facility not
frequently available
4. No mandatory
accreditation and regulation
system for hospitals
5. Low Coordination among
the various service
providers in the industry–
airline, hotels, travel agents
and hospitals
6. Complicated
disengagement of procedures
& bill settlement
7. No strong government
support / initiative to promote
medical tourism
Level of patient service not at
par
2. Tedious police verification
clause for medical tourists
3. Online preoperative
counselling facility not
frequently available
4. No mandatory
accreditation and regulation
system for hospitals
5. Low Coordination among
the various service
providers in the industry–
airline, hotels, travel agents
and hospitals
6. Complicated
disengagement of procedures
& bill settlement
7. No strong government
support / initiative to promote
medical tourism
Level of patient service not at
par
2. Tedious police verification
clause for medical tourists
3. Online preoperative
counselling facility not
frequently available
4. No mandatory
accreditation and regulation
system for hospitals
5. Low Coordination among
the various service
providers in the industry–
airline, hotels, travel agents
and hospitals
6. Complicated
disengagement of procedures
& bill settlement
7. No strong government
support / initiative to promote
medical tourism
• No strong government support / initiative to promote medical tourism
• Low Coordination among the various service providers in the industry– airline, hotels,
travel agents and hospitals
• Unhygienic country as per Perception of the Customer
• No mandatory accreditation and regulation system for hospitals
• Only 17 JCI accredited and 198 NABH accredited hospital in India
• Lack of uniform pricing policies
 • Online prospecting concealing facility is not frequently available

Opportunities

• Increased demand for healthcare services from countries like US, UK with aging
population
• Fast-paced & stressful lifestyle increases demand for wellness tourism and alternative
cures
• Deficiency of supply in National Health Systems in countries like U.K, Canada
• Demand from countries with underdeveloped healthcare facilities
• Demand for retirement homes for elderly people especially Japanese
• Nation health Policy
• Economic rescission

Threats

• Strong and tuff competition from Thailand, Singapore

• Lack of international accreditation Overseas medical care not covered by insurance
providers
• Low-investment in health infrastructure
• General infrastructure is not impressive

Medical Tourism in Karnataka

Karnataka is one of the fastest growing states in India, especially in the field of technology.
Many of India’s high technological firms are located in its major cities like Mysore and
Bangalore. Along with IT, Karnataka also have many of India’s best medical providers and is
attracting travellers for medical and health tourism. Even though, recent Covid-19 pandemic had
reduced the inflow of travelers from outside the country, Karnataka is showing growth in
Healthcare sector.

Bangalore is the capital city of the state of Karnataka, one of the four southern states of India.
The state has a geographical area of 191,791 km2, or 5.83% of India’s total geographical area,
making it the eighth largest Indian state. Karnataka has a very diverse set of cultures,
geographies, and languages, and is known for its emphasis on intellectual capital. It is also the
only state which shares borders with all the other southern states. It has four natural regions – the
coastal region, the Western Ghats Region, the northern plains and the southern plains (Planning
and Statistics Department, Government of Karnataka, 2006). Karnataka has 30 districts, 176 sub-
districts and 29,340 villages (Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs , 2011). It has a
total population of 61,130,704. The population density is 319 people per km2. The rural
population of Karnataka comprises nearly 62% of the population

MEDICAL TOURISM SITES IN BANGALORE

Bangalore houses nearly 15 major hospitals which cater to international medical travel. Some
have specialty services like orthopaedics, oncology, or reproductive health, but most of them are
multi-specialty hospitals. The study team visited six hospitals; Apollo hospital, Columbia Asia
hospital, Fortis hospital, Manipal hospital, Mallya hospital, and Narayana Hrudayalaya, to
undertake a tour of the facilities and understand their processes for medical tourism. Four
hospitals – Columbia Asia, Fortis Hospital, Manipal Hospital and Narayana Hrudayalaya -
provided a facility tour, while the other two provided interviews with the international marketing
divisions of the hospitals. A snowballing technique was employed, wherein some personal
contacts or organizational contacts were utilized to get in touch with someone at these facilities,
moving along until the key persons responsible for medical tourism in the organization had been
reached. The following sections present information on these sites and findings from the
facilities tours.

Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore

Apollo Hospitals group was one of the

pioneers of medical tourism. They first
entered Bangalore with a joint venture
with Mallya Hospitals, which was then
called Apollo Mallya hospitals, followed
by a joint venture called Sagar Apollo
hospitals (now Sagar hospitals). The
present facility on Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore was built in 2006, and by 2008, it started
getting international patients

The hospital has 300 beds and houses state-of-the-art facilities. It offers all the major treatments,
but primarily treats international patients for orthopedics, cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery,
oncology, transplants (although not heart transplants), and ear, nose and throat. Apollo has
recently opened up a new 80 bed facility in another area, Jayanagar, where they provide
orthopaedic, neurology and pulmonology services. Signage around the facility was in English
and the local language, Kannada. Photography was prohibited, impairing the team’s ability to
take photos of the facilities. The Jayanagar facility was not visited as it was relatively new; at the
time it had not received any foreign investment. The Bannerghatta road facility has received
accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI), which is displayed in several
prominent places around the facility. Their most recent accreditation was in 2012. The facility
serves both national and international patients, however the study team did observe a separate
wing called the ‘Platinum Wing’ which had an exclusive international patient focus. The facility
has in-house translators for Arabic, but other languages, such as French, are outsourced to
translation agencies. It provides guest houses within the hospital premise for patients and their
caretakers, with additional housing nearby. Doctor-patient and nurse patient ratios do not differ
between local and international patients. The facility does not focus explicitly on tourism, as the
patients it receives have limited resources. Medical tourists do not form a major part of its
revenues, although the number of patients is increasing each year, with the facility expecting
approximately 1000 patients in 2013, primarily from the Middle East and Africa, particularly,
Central Africa. Nearly 70% of the facility’s doctors have received some form of training abroad,
in the UK or the US. All of the nurses in the facility were trained in India. All of the doctors
employed were full time consultants with the facility, none of whom worked in the public health
system. Similarly, none of the nurses worked within the public health system either. The
international marketing division for Apollo Hospitals, located in Chennai, allocates patients to
the various Apollo facilities based on their requirements; nearly 45% of whom are treated at the
Chennai facility.
Columbia Asia,
Bangalore
Columbia Asia has two
hospitals in Bangalore,
one near Hebbal and
another
near Yeshwantpur. A
hospital staff member
provided the study
team with a
guided tour of the
Yeshwamtpur facility.
Columbia Asia, Bangalore

Columbia Asia has two hospitals in Bangalore, one

near Hebbal and another near Yeshwantpur. A
hospital staff member provided the study team with
a guided tour of the Yeshwamtpur facility.
The facility has a prime
location in an old area
serving as the gateway
to
Bangalore on the
Mumbai-Bangalore
highway. Yeshwantpur is
housed in one of
the largest posh housing
complexes in Bangalore,
called Brigade Gateway.
The
facility, built in 2010,
has 130 beds; the
Hebbal facility has 90
beds.
International patients
primarily receive
orthopaedic, cardiac and
ear, nose and
throat services.
However, the facility
offers all major
specialties, including
neurology,
neurosurgery, oncology,
bariatric surgery,
dermatology,
gastroenterology,
nephrology, urology,
pulmonology,
rheumatology, obstetrics
and gynaecology,
pediatric surgery and
vascular surgery. The
group is rapidly
expanding, with new
facilities slotted in
Pune, Ahmedabad,
Meerut and
Chandigarh, as well as a
recently opened 11 bed
clinic in Doddaballapur,
near
the new airport.
Signage at the
Yeshwantpur facility is
in both English and
Kannada, and while the
faculty list was
prominently displayed,
no degrees were
The facility has a prime
location in an old area
serving as the gateway
to
Bangalore on the
Mumbai-Bangalore
highway. Yeshwantpur is
housed in one of
the largest posh housing
complexes in Bangalore,
called Brigade Gateway.
The
facility, built in 2010,
has 130 beds; the
Hebbal facility has 90
beds.
International patients
primarily receive
orthopaedic, cardiac and
ear, nose and
throat services.
However, the facility
offers all major
specialties, including
neurology,
neurosurgery, oncology,
bariatric surgery,
dermatology,
gastroenterology,
nephrology, urology,
pulmonology,
rheumatology, obstetrics
and gynaecology,
pediatric surgery and
vascular surgery. The
group is rapidly
expanding, with new
facilities slotted in
Pune, Ahmedabad,
Meerut and
Chandigarh, as well as a
recently opened 11 bed
clinic in Doddaballapur,
near
the new airport.
Signage at the
Yeshwantpur facility is
in both English and
Kannada, and while the
faculty list was
prominently displayed,
no degrees were
The facility has a prime location in an old area serving as the gateway to Bangalore on the
Mumbai-Bangalore highway. Yeshwantpur is housed in one of the largest posh housing
complexes in Bangalore, called Brigade Gateway. The facility, built in 2010, has 130 beds; the
Hebbal facility has 190 beds. International patients primarily receive orthopedic, cardiac and ear,
nose and throat services. However, the facility offers all major specialties, including neurology,
neurosurgery, oncology, bariatric surgery, dermatology, gastroenterology, nephrology, urology,
pulmonology, rheumatology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatric surgery and vascular surgery.
The group is rapidly expanding, with new facilities slotted in Pune, Ahmedabad, Meerut and
Chandigarh, as well as a recently opened 11 bed clinics in Doddaballapur, near the new airport.
Signage at the Yeshwantpur facility is in both English and Kannada, and while the faculty list
was prominently displayed, no degrees were mentioned. The study team was discouraged from
taking photographs of the facility.

Fortis Hospitals
Fortis Healthcare is a
large chain of hospitals
within India,
operating in 11
countries worldwide.
They have a total of
76 hospitals, and over
12,000 beds, 600
primary care
centres, 191 day care
specialty centres, 230
diagnostic
centres, and 23,000
staff. The five facilities
in Bangalore
are at Bannerghatta
Road, Cunningham Road,
Nagarabhavi,
Rajajinagar, and
Sheshadripuram. The
operations in
Bangalore started with
the acquisition of the
Wockhardt
Fortis Hospitals

Fortis Healthcare is a large chain of hospitals within

India, operating in 11 countries worldwide. They
have a total of 76 hospitals, and over 12,000 beds, 600
primary care centers, 191-day care specialty centers,
230 diagnostic centers, and 23,000 staff. The five
facilities in Bangalore are at Bannerghatta Road,
Cunningham Road, Nagarabhavi, Rajajinagar, and
Sheshadripuram. The operations in Bangalore started
with the acquisition of the Wockhardt group of hospitals in 2009. The facility visited was the
Forti hospital, Bannerghatta Road. It is a 400 bed, gated hospital. Signage is in English and
Hindi, although in some places the signage was in kannada as well. Some of the signage was
targeted at international patients, i.e., Arabic. There were boards listing staff with their foreign
degrees emphasized. Personal testimonial is posted on their website. The facility is publicly
owned by the Fortis Healthcare and Religare Enterprises group and is 100% Indian-owned.

The facility has over

150 consultants and
800 other para-medical
staff,
and offers super-
specialty tertiary care
services for
approximately 40
specialties, including
cardiology, cardiac
surgery, urology,
neurology and
neurosurgery,
orthopaedics, digestive
care, emergency care,
and critical care.
The facility also hosts
blood bank services,
preventive health
services, a
diagnostic and
catheterization
laboratory, diet
counseling,
physiotherapy and
rehabilitation, laboratory
and micro biological
services, stress
management,
and a 24-hour pharmacy.
The facility has over 150 consultants and 800 other para-medical staff, and offers super-specialty
tertiary care services for approximately 40 specialties, including cardiology, cardiac surgery,
urology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, digestive care, emergency care, and critical
care. The facility also hosts blood bank services, preventive health services, a diagnostic and
catheterization laboratory, diet counseling, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, laboratory and
micro biological services, stress management, and a 24-hour pharmacy.

he facility does not

focus
exclusively on medical
tourism,
nor are there separate
wards for
medical tourists;
although the
services most often
used by
medical tourists are
within the
deluxe wards. Patients
come to
Fortis from 55 countries
worldwide, with 50%
from Africa,
6-7% from the United
Arab
Emirates, and 3-4% from
the UK,
The facility does not focus exclusively on medical tourism, nor are there separate wards for
medical tourists; although the services most often used by medical tourists are within the deluxe
wards. Patients come to Fortis from 55 countries worldwide, with 50% from Africa, 6-7% from
the United Arab Emirates, and 3-4% from the UK, US, and Australia. The facility has in-house
Arabic translators, and receives approximately 40-50 medical tourists per month, comprising
22% of all patients and approximately 20% of all revenues. The patients they receive are mostly
uninsured, cannot afford expensive treatments in their home country, or come from a country
where waiting lists for procedures are too long.
Mallya Hospitals
This was one of the first
such facilities offering
medical tourism to start
in
Bangalore. In 1991 it
began as Apollo Mallya
hospital in collaboration
with the
Apollo Hospitals Chennai.
It is located in the central
business district of
Bangalore. It is a 220 bed
facility, and there is very
limited space available
for
expansion. However the
group also operates a
1000 bed medical college
hospital on the outskirts
of
Figure 8 – Entrance of
Mallya Hospita
Mallya Hospitals

This was one of the first such facilities offering medical

tourism to start in Bangalore. In 1991 it began as Apollo
Mallya hospital in collaboration with the Apollo Hospitals
Chennai. It is located in the central business district of
Bangalore. It is a 220-bed facility, and there is very limited
space available for expansion. However, the group also
operates a 1000 bed medical college hospital on the outskirts
of Bangalore. Signage was in both English and Kannada, and
very worn out. The list of doctors and their faculty was displayed, but no degrees were
mentioned. Medical tourism patients are primarily non-resident Indians from the US, the UK and
New Zealand. Most of the non-resident Indian patients come from the Middle East. The facility
is 100% Indian and private owned.

Manipal Hospital
Manipal hospital is one
of the leading hospitals
in Bangalore catering
to
international medical
travel. The facility was
started by one of the
oldest and
most prestigious medicial
colleges in the state,
the Kasturba Medical
College.
The facility visited by the
study team is a relatively
large hospital with 650
beds.
It is also located in a very
prime area, near the old
airport. There have not
been
any expansions within
the premises, but the
hospital has opened up
new
facilities elsewhere in
the city, and has also
recently closed down
one of the
facilities in
Rajarajeshwarinagar,
citing the faclility as
being unviable. Signage
at

Manipal Hospital

Manipal hospital is one of the leading hospitals

in Bangalore catering to international medical
travel. The facility was started by one of the
oldest and most prestigious medical colleges in
the state, the Kasturba Medical College. The
facility visited by the study team is a relatively
large hospital with 650 beds. It is also located
in a very prime area, near the old airport.
There have not been any expansions within the
premises, but the hospital has opened up new facilities elsewhere in the city and has also recently
closed down one of the facilities in Rajarajeshwarinagar, citing the facility as being unviable.
Signage at the hospital was bilingual, in both English and Kannada. Various faculties were listed
but there was no list of doctors. The facility caters to all the major specialties, and is privately-
owned by the TMA Pai Foundation.

The facility has been

actively marketing to
medical tourists for
three
years. The facility
receives its patients
mainly from Africa, the
Middle East, and
Maldives. Recently, the
facility has started
receiving patients from
Canada, the
US and the UK. There
is an international
marketing division
which caters to
these patients. There is
a chat room provided
on their website for
initial
discussions with
prospective patients.
This chat room is
maintained by a
different team. Once a
patient has finalized
his/her visit, the case is
turned over
The facility has been actively marketing to medical tourists for three years. The facility receives
its patients mainly from Africa, the Middle East, and Maldives. Recently, the facility has started
receiving patients from Canada, the US and the UK. There is an international marketing division
which caters to these patients. There is a chat room provided on their website for initial
discussions with prospective patients. This chat room is maintained by a different team. Once a
patient has finalized his/her visit, the case is turned over to patient coordinators who provide
concierge services. Patient testimonials are also provided on their website.

Narayana
Hrudayalaya
Narayana Hrudayalaya,
located near the border
of
Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu, is a large,
privately-
owned hospital complex
with 3000 beds, and an
80
bed ICU. This facility was
built in 2001, and
became
known for its cardiac
care service, ‘Hrudaya’
in
Kannada translates to
‘heart’. Chairman,

Narayana Hrudayalaya
Narayana Hrudayalaya, located near the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, is a large,
privately-owned hospital complex with 3000 beds, and an 80 bed ICU. This facility was built in
2001, and became known for its cardiac care service, ‘Hrudaya’ in Kannada translates to ‘heart’.
Chairman, Dr. Devi Shetty, known for his
entrepreneurial skills, was aware of the advantages of
economies of scale and thus actively worked with the
government to develop an insurance scheme for farmers.
An insurance scheme called ‘Yeshaswini’ was launched
for the farmers, who were already in a collectivize co-
operation movement, wherein they were to pay a
premium of 30 rupees per month, with a matching
contribution from the state government. This was a
groundbreaking insurance scheme that led the way for similar schemes in the country. The
hospital, known for its specialty in pediatric cardiology, now has all the super specialties, with a
separate facility for cardiac cases, and a separate facility for multispecialty. Signage was all
bilingual.

Medical tourists, primarily from Bangladesh, the Middle East, Africa, and Malaysia, have been
attending this facility since its inception. Nearly 15-20% of the patients treated at the facility are
medical tourists, approximately 500 patients per month. Medical tourism has seen an increase of
30% in the last year. In-house translation services are available for French and Arabic, all other
languages require outside agencies to be hired. The facility has an in-house travel agency,
provides concierge services, and has its own accommodation facilities; in addition to this it has
ties with hotels, and Lufthansa airlines.

The facility has been

actively marketing their
medical tourism services
for
three years. A centralized
international division,
based in Bangalore,
distributes
cases to units
depending
on the required
treatment.
The facility has a
unique
marketing strategy,
including telemedicine
connectivity established
with 52 cities in Africa
and
450 telemedicine centers
The facility has been actively marketing their medical tourism services for three years. A
centralized international division, based in Bangalore, distributes cases to units depending on the
required treatment. The facility has a unique marketing strategy, including telemedicine
connectivity established with 52 cities in Africa and 450 telemedicine centers worldwide.
Continuing Medical Education (CME) is conducted through telemedicine, with 10 CMEs
conducted each month (8 in English and 2 in French). The facility has ties with physicians in
various locations who send their patients’ radiological, ECG and such other reports over
telephone lines, which specialists at the facility then review, and provide consultation to the
patients. Other form of marketing tactics employed are taking doctors outside of the country,
conducting medical camps, and running advertisement campaigns in countries that allow this.
They also transmit live surgery over the internet to build overseas patient/physician confidence
in their services.

The facility has empaneled itself to all government sponsored insurance schemes. Interestingly
since it is on the border of Tamil Nadu it is also empaneled on the insurance schemes run by the
Government of Tamil Nadu.

Literature Review

(J, 2021) - in this article entitled with Health tourism is a term that has risen from the rapid
growth of industry where people from all around the world are travelling to other countries to
obtain good medical care. Due to Covid-19 Pandemic, industry showed reduction in the amount
of people travelled to India for medical purposes, but the domestic medical industry in India is
trying best to have its share from the emerging global market. Narayana Health, Bangalore has
given importance to attract international patients through various marketing methods and its low-
cost strategies.
(Beena, 2019) – In this article entitled with Medical tourism is a term to describe the rapidly-
growing practice of travelling across international borders to obtain health care. Services
typically sought by travelers include elective procedures as well as complex specialized
surgeries.

The aim of this article is to determine the effective factors for attracting medical tourism to
Bangalore in a variety of aspect such as propel’ function of related organization, ‘proper
marketing mix according to special circumstances of Bangalore. It seems that knowing each
these factors are necessary for entering Bangalore to medical tourism market. It examines the
diverse challenges that need to be addressed for the medical tourism industry to realize its
potential. It then outlines a range of strategic and tactical initiatives that would contribute to a
faster growth of the industry. Special emphasis is placed on the need for partnership amongst the
various stakeholders such as medical and healthcare providers, hospitality and transportation
services, tourism departments and the government. This article focuses on the factors that make
India the most potential medical tourism market in world. Actors such as low cost, scale and
range of treatments provide ill differentiate it from other medical tourism destinations in the
world.

(Saligram, 2020) – in the report determine some general information on Bangalore and its health
system before going into detail about key developments in its medical tourism industry.
Complementing the main text, five Appendices provide additional detailed insights. offers a
content analysis of the media coverage of medical tourism in Bangalore. provide a narrative
synthesis of policy documents regarding medical tourism in Bangalore, Karnataka and India. is a
summary of key agencies and actors involved in medical tourism development in Bangalore and
India. is a map of the medical tourism facilities in Bangalore, and offers the trade and investment
treaties.

(Gowda, 2018) - In this article entitled with Medical Tourism as an industry exists for over years.
The relevance of the Medical Tourism is more so in the modern era where the patients cross the
borders and go to other countries to avail the best of the treatment. The industry is growing in the
volume day by day. The accreditation of the hospitals has made it easy for the patients to avail
the world-class treatment in the hospitals. Governments and the Tourism Departments have
recognized the importance and are giving the impetus to the Medical tourism to make it work as
a revenue generating model. The present study is empirical study of the Medical Tourism in the
Bengaluru Context.

(Babu, 2018) - In this article entitled with India is emerging as a prime destination for Medi-
tourism, health Care and contributing assortment to the social- Economic development for the
society by enhancing the employment opportunity, an increase in foreign exchange earnings and
uplifting the living standards of the hosted community by developing infrastructure and high-
quality education system. Today Indian hospitals are well equipped with the latest technology
and highly qualified and experienced Doctors and nurses’ staff who can provide timely and
quality medical treatment to patients. This paper highlights the potential of Medical Tourism
industry in India. It also helps in introspecting the Hospital Accreditation system for Medical
Tourism, examining the role of Government in promoting infrastructure for Medical Tourism
and analyzing the latest trend to increase the flow of Medical tourism.

(Harisha, 2018) - In this article entitled with Medical tourism indicates provision of cost effective
private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and
other forms of specialised treatment. The main objectives of this paper are to review the trends of
tourist arrivals to Karnataka in general and to analysis the status of medical tourism in
Karnataka, comparative cost advantages and challenges. It is found that the tourist flow in to the
State has continuously increased from 3.67Crore in 2006 to 13.30 Core in 2016, which indicates
comprehensive increase in arrivals. Karnataka has more than 15 major hospitals which attracts to
international medical travel to the state. Some have speciality services like orthopaedics,
oncology, or reproductive health, but most of them are multi-speciality hospitals. Hospitalisation
cost in Karnataka both in the rural and urban areas is the lowest among the southern states
according to the report prepared by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) under the
Union Health Ministry in 2017.The major challenges to medical tourism in Karnataka is
Information Dissemination, up gradation of existing infrastructure in hospital, Health worker
shortages in some specialty areas.

(Mala KS, 2018) - In this article entitled with Tourism industry is one of fast-growing industry in
the world. It is an industry that has assumed global proportions. The importance of tourism to
economic development has been recognized widely due to its contribution to the balance of
payments, GDP and employment. Since last few years, Karnataka tourism industry has been
growing at a rapid pace and it has vast potential for generating employment and earning large
amount of foreign exchange. Karnataka state is known for its rich culture and scenic beauty. It
has immense tourism potential to attract foreign tourist’s as well domestic tourist all over the
world. There are many tourist destinations which are untapped and which can be developed as
major tourist destinations. The present study tries to analyses the multi-faceted growth and
development of Karnataka tourism industry. The tourism sector is making a significant march
towards the economic development. The growth in travel and tourism directly or indirectly helps
in the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of other factors such as hotels, resorts,
guides, travel and tour operators etc. Thus, the tourism sector needs to be properly tuned in such
a way that both central and state should try of improving Karnataka state as one of tourist
destination with proper policies. Therefore, in the development of the tourism sector, the role of
states in the democratic set-up of India needs to be recognized. Tourism creates thousands of
jobs and benefits the entire community. Tourism helps to preserve ancient cultures &
handicrafts, which otherwise would have been lost in the relentless march of industrialization.
Thus, there is scope to study and identify the development of the state, supporting industries,
income earned by the region and infrastructural facilities the Government has to make are all
taken into the observation under the study.
(Reema Agnes Frank, 2015) - In this article entitled with Medical Tourism is the interest of the
people travelling across the country to seek medical help. India is an emerging and promising
medical tourism destination and most preferred nation amongst the tourist as it is famous for its
traditional treatment methods combined with the modern amenities contributing a handsome
share in the Indian economy. Even though the modern infrastructure has been developed, there
are certain issues and challenges are readily visible which will cause a hindrance in the
development of medical tourism. Hence in this study, the researchers have made a sincere effort
in identifying the issues and challenges in medical tourism in India with special reference to
Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka

(Shashiraj, 2017) - In this article entitled with There are many major forms of tourism activities
are prevailing in India. These are cultural tourism, rural tourism, ecotourism, adventure tourism,
religious or pilgrimage tourism, beach tourism, MICE tourism etc. However, India could able to
leave its footprint in one of the most specialized form of tourism, the objective of the paper is to
identify analyze major the healthcare centers or facilities available in Karnataka and their
potentials to grow as famous medical tourism destination. The article covers various medicinal
practices prevailing in Karnataka along with their ethnicity. The paper also brings out the
perceived benefits to the indigenous community and to the area from the medical tourism growth
in the region. The careful observations, consensus and discussion with the academicians and
employees of few of the service providers revealed the realistic state of affairs in terms of
ecotourism business. Medical tourism occurs when consumers elect to travel across international
borders with the intention to receiving some form of medical treatments. However, the varieties
of medical treatments available in rural areas of the state such as yoga and meditation,
naturopathy, Ayurveda etc. are not visited regularly by the foreign tourists. Thus, it becomes
difficult to consider such destinations under medical tourism. It required hard niche marketing
approach towards promoting these ethnic medicinal treatments.

(PATIL, 2021) - Medical Tourism is a developing exercise of crossing global borders to discover
health care. It includes recreation, entertainment and relaxation as well as health and wellness.
Medical Tourism in India is growing rapidly & numerous private hospitals are doing their best to
take advantage of this opportunity. With a focus to scrutinize the scope of different aspects of
medical tourism in India and to figure out the external factors influencing the Indian medical
tourism, this paper is an attempt to evaluate the possibilities of Medical Tourism in India and
identify the challenges occurring. in line with the objective of analyzing the diversity of medical
tourism in India this research article continues to discuss literature reviews on the topic and to
clarify the research methods used followed by conclusion.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH PRAPOSAL
Research title
A study on Medical Tourism Awareness among the MBA students in Bengaluru

RESEARCH SCOPA
The study will be conducted to know Awareness Toward Medical Tourism to MBA student in
Bengaluru
 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

 To enlighten the general information on medical tourism in Karnataka

 To Know the Perception of MBA Student Toward Medical Tourism
 To Study the Awareness Toward Medical Tourism in MBA student of Bengaluru

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

 Time limit was the major constraints because we need to complete the research within the
given time frame. Respondents may give wrong information in order to finish the
questionnaire quickly it may affect the study.
 Student shared a limited information.

Research Type:

Quantitative research

 This type of research quantifies the data collected from the sample of populations. In this
type the data collection is structured and data analysis is statistical.

Research Design:

Research design is a system or plan for an investigation/study that controls the accumulation and
analysis of the data. It is a guide or blueprint as indicated by which research is to be conducted.

The research design is given below:

Research design - Conclusive Research - Descriptive Research Design - Cross sectional

Conclusive Research Design: This is applied to generate findings that are practically useful in
reaching conclusions. Conclusive research design usually involves the application of quantitative
data collection and data analysis.

Descriptive Research Design:

Descriptive research incorporates overviews and certainty findings enquiries of various kinds.
The significant reason for descriptive research is descriptions of the situation at it exists at present.
The technique for research used in descriptive research are overview strategy for all kinds,
including correlation and comparative methods.

Cross Sectional Research Design:

 A cross sectional design in which only one sample of respondents is drawn from the target
populations and information is obtained this sample once.

DATA COLLECTION:
Sources of data
The present study is based on secondary and primary data is collected through questionnaire
 Primary data collection: Primary data is gathered as survey through the questionnaire
which comprises of various questions in printed in definite order on a lot of structures,
the respondents replied upon the questions and understand enquiries itself. The
respondent needs to reply the question on their own and asper their perception
 Secondary data collection: Secondary data comprises of data that as of now exist. Some
place, have been collected for specific reason in the study. The secondary data for the
study was gathered from different books, journals, websites, broachers and so on.
The methodology embraced to gather a primary data was start with time table which
incorporates an organized questionnaire to be given to the respondents, the respondent
would be guided by the questioner to fill the questionnaire and direct perception
technique was like wise embraced

DATA COLLECTION TOOL

 Data is collected through structured questionnaire

Structured Questionnaire:

It is a series of questions asked to individuals to obtain statistically useful information about a

given topic. When properly constructed and responsibly administered, questionnaires become a
vital instrument by which statements can be made about specific groups, or people, or entire
populations.
 Questionnaire method is used because it saves time as the questionnaire will be provided at
once and it is a formal and structured method used for a survey.

MAJOR DATA COLLECTION METHOD

The data will be collected by sending google form to the MBA student.
Sampling technique:

 Sample Population: MBA students of Bengaluru

 Sample Size: 50
 Sample unit: MBA student
 Research instrument: Structured questionnaire

Data Analysis & Interpretation:

The collected data were analyzed with the help of statistical tools & techniques such as averages
and percentage; wherever necessary the tables, charts, graphs & diagrams will be used.