Medical Tourism in Developing Countries

Promoting Medical Tourism ● 131required, calling for a slash in subsidies, privatization of state companies,and liberalization of financial markets as the only way to achieve growthand a dent in poverty. 125It was finance minister Manmohan Singh who greatly accelerated thepace of liberalizing reforms. To increase competition, almost all licensingrestrictions were removed and subsidies were lowered. The goal was to bringprices down, especially in the telecom industry, so foreign corporationscould skip the Indian telephone system and link directly to their homebases. 126 The public sector was decreased in an effort to further privatizethe economy. The 40 percent cap on foreign ownership was removed anda Securities and Exchange Board was created to regulate capital markets. Bythe twenty-first century, India had witnessed an impressive development ofthe information technology sector and the rise of an entrepreneurial class.Direct foreign investment increased, the deficit was lowered, and corruptionwas addressed.In this liberalized atmosphere, Indian businesses expanded into themedical industry. The establishment of a market economy, privatization,and the promotion of service trade and outsourcing, all combined to enablemedical tourism to take off.Advantage VI: The Confluence of High-Tech Medicineand Traditional HealingLifestyle medical tourism, as discussed in chapter 3, includes Western wellness(spa and state-of-the-art exercise machines), as well as traditional,holistic, and natural therapies. Given the growing demand for such services,those countries that can provide them in abundance have an advantage overthose that cannot. When a country can combine high-tech and traditionalmedicine, it appeals to a broader market segment.Even Western suppliers are responding to the growing demand for combinationvacation/health care by providing new features that built vacationsaround traditional health providers. When Canyon Ranch proposed theintroduction of two cruise ships, Zuckerman, the founder, said, “We arevery excited to offer an exotic travel experience consistent with our goal ofproviding a healthy, life enhancing vacation [italics mine].” 127 Also, Dialysisat Sea puts dialysis machines on cruise ships so people with kidney problemscan see the world while getting treatment. Hotel de Health in Anguillaoffers beach sports as well as eight dialysis stations with great views of theCaribbean. 128 Western suppliers are also responding to demand for alternativetherapies. In the United States, hotels and resorts are adding to theirspas, Asian, Native American, or other alternative therapies and approaches