Tamilnadu Medical Tourism

What is Medical Tourism

This is an Industry with billions of dollars annual turnover and also called as Health Tourism too. Travelling from one place to another or one country to another, in search of an affordable and good medical treatment is the simplest definition for the term “Medical Tourism”. Yester years witnessed people travelling from developing countries in search of specialized treatments that were not available in their countries, to the developed countries, paying a very high cost. It was only affordable for the Rich. The Trend was reversed, when the developing countries started providing high class Super Specialty Facilities at an affordable and reasonable cost. People from developed west and oil rich middle-East and many neighbouring countries too, travel to India for its best medical facilities. India is expected to record a 30% growth in this segment of tourism in 2015.

Why Tamilnadu?

Advantages for Medical Treatment in Tamil Nadu include : International Standard Hospitals, Departmental experts to take care of everything this required, reduced costs, availability of latest Technologies, Specially qualified Medical Practitioners, Emergency treatment or treatment at short notice, availability of Linguistic interpreters to make it more comfortable for patients puts the State of Tamil Nadu on top of this segment's list. This has recently spurred a new wave of medical tourism. As consumers are becoming aware of the high quality of these procedures in Tamil Nadu and India , insurance corporations have started offering medical cover in a multi dimensional format , hence the flow of medical tourists have increased in Tamil Nadu. Projection of future development aims at very big targets .

Cost Affordable Destination

COST – it is an important factor in anything including the Medical Treatment all around the globe. The changing technologies, increasing classifications of treatment, escalating charges of Medical Professionals make the treatment affordability an uphill task for ever increasing list of diseases. The Western Countries are becoming exorbitantly expensive and the problem is compounded by the under insured or non- insured factor. India is the best available Cost affordable option. Asian countries are the most Cost Affordable destination with excellent and latest technologies along with professionals, among the best in the world. IBEF Study says, India offers : Open Heart Surgery , Liver Transplant, Hip Replacement, Knee Replacement packages at 30 to 50% lesser than Thailand, which is reported to be the only Asian Competitor to India in Medical Tourism. Apollo Hospitals first opened up at Chennai then followed by Fortis, Max, Escorts, Wockhardt, Sterling and Global ; Sankara Nethralaya and Agarwal Eye hospitals are some of the group hospital services available at best affordable cost in Tamil Nadu and in many other cities of India

CARDIAC CARE

The heart is a muscular organ about the size of a fist, located just behind and slightly to the left of the breastbone. Heart plays a vital role in the well being of human being. The heart pumps blood through the network of arteries and veins called the cardiovascular system. Coronary artery disease, Myocardial infarction, Congestive Heart Failure, Endocarditis, Mitral valve prolapse syndrome are some Conditions of the Heart that needs immediate attention. Angioplasty and By Pass Surgery are two common surgical Pro procedures for critical heart damages.

Critical coronary care units’ [CCCU] for Critically ill patients and / or progressive care units (PCUs) also called intermediate coronary care units (ICCUs) in some places for patients who are not critical, with latest and modern minimal Invasive monitoring with catheters and supportive modalities such as mechanical ventilation and intra – aortic balloon pumps facilities are available in Super Specialty Cardiology Hospitals in Tamil Nadu.

Apart from the Government Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital and Stanely hospital; private hospitals like Apollo Hospitals, Global Health City, Vijaya Hospitals, Frontier Lifeline Hospitals, Madras Medical Mission, Fortis Health Care, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Hospital in Chennai have excellent Track Record, Experienced Professionals, Latest Diagnostic and Support Equipments like ECHO, Cardiac Stress Test, Cardiac Catheterization and Modern Monitors , attracts thousands of patients from all around the globe.

DENTAL & COSMETIC CARE

Awareness on Oral Health and its effects on General Health of people is increasing day by day among people, not only in India, but every where in the world. This field is basically a surgical centric Medical Procedure. These hospitals are with special Cross Infection Control processes as they deal with Saliva and Blood which can cause spread of infection. It becomes mandatory to have this infection under control in dentistry. Many Multi Specialty Dental Centers deliver a high standard of dental care in a world class environment with strict cross infection control procedures, equipped with state of the art dental equipments and team of Highly qualified dentists with an aim to revolutionize dentistry without any compromise in standards and guidelines. Dentistry offers oral & Maxillofacial treatment, Craniofacial, Cosmetic dentistry, whitening, Orthodontic braces, Corrective Jaw or orthognathic surgery, & nasal surgery.

Government Dental Hospital at Chennai and private hospitals namely Balaji Dental Hospital, Acharya Dental, Apollo White Dental, RR Dental Hospital, Vasan Dental Care, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital are some busy establishments in this business.

EYE CARE

Ophthalmologists are doctors who provide comprehensive eye care, including medical, surgical and optical care. An ophthalmologist can perform all the tests an optometrist can and in addition is a fully qualified medical doctor and surgeon. Ophthalmologists undergo extensive and intensive medical and surgical treatment training. The three main types of eye care professionals are ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians. Comprehensive eye and vision care includes refraction and dispensing, detection/diagnosis and management of disease in the eye, and the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system.

Those who help the ophthalmologists are : Opticians specialize in the fitting and fabrication of ophthalmic lenses, spectacles, Contact lenses, low vision aids and ocular prosthetics. They may also be referred to as an "optical dispenser", "dispensing optician" or "ophthalmic dispenser". The prescription for the corrective lenses must be issued by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist. This is a regulated profession in most countries; Orthoptists diagnose and manage eye movement and treat problems and conditions such as Amblyopia, Strabismus and binocular vision disorders. They may assist ophthalmologists in surgery too.

Government Opthalmic Hospital-Egmore [Biggest in Asia], and private hospitals like Sankara Nethralaya, Sankara Eye Hospital-Pammal, Rajan Eye Care, Vasan Eye Care, Dr.Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, American Eye Care Centre, Udhi Eye Clinic, Eye Research Foundation-Vadapalani are some Big and Medium size Hospitals or chain of Hospitals available in the City of Chennai.

FERTILITY TREATMENT

Reproductive Medicine and Assisted Reproductive Technologies are otherwise called as the Fertility treatment that delivers effective and comprehensive care in assisted reproduction with ultra modern facilities and state of the art equipments. Ultimately all the Fertility centers aim at providing the best reproductive endocrine care with a team of multi disciplinary team of doctors doing their best.

Well equipped infrastructure , most modern equipments, techniques and professionals are available for various procedures such as Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), Assisted Hatching (AH), Blastocyst Transfer, Sperm and Embryo Cryopreservation, and a well equipped Andrology Laboratory for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. 3 D laparoscopy services are available with state of the art facility for Hysteroscopy and laparoscopy.

Srushti Fertility Research Centre, Garbharakshambigai Fertility Center [GFC], GG Hospital , Madras Medical Mission, Prashanth Hospital, Ishwarya fertilityCentre, Chennai Fertility center and Research Institute, Prime OBG Fertility Center, Miracle Advanced Reproductive Centre are some options available in the city of Chennai. Best possible medical care at an affordable price is their Motto.

GENERAL SURGERY

General surgery is a discipline that requires knowledge of and familiarity with a broad spectrum of diseases that may require surgical treatment. Though the length and breadth of this knowledge will vary by disease and its categories, the surgeon will be expected to be competent in diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of disease. General surgery focuses on Bdominal contents including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, Colon, Liver, Pancreas, Gallbladder and Bile ducts, and often the Thyroid gland. However, Trauma surgery/ Surgical Critical Care, Laparoscopic surgery, Colorectal surgery, Breast surgery, Vascular surgery, Endocrine surgery. Transplant surgery, Surgical oncology Cardiothoracic surgery needs special skills and Training in their respective fields through higher learning. Most of the hospitals are equipped with a reasonably medium sized Operation Theatres [OT] to handle most of these cases. Bigger hospitals are available in the City and the State for Critical and Specialized surgical facilities.

NEURO AND ORTHO

Neurology encompasses all aspects of medicine and surgery, but is closer to Orthopaedic Surgery than many other specialties. Both neurological deficits and bone disorders lead to locomotor system abnormalities, joint complications and limb problems. The main neurological conditions that require the attention of an orthopaedic surgeon are disorders that affect the lower motor neurones. The most common disorders in this group include neuromuscular disorders and traumatic peripheral nerve lesions. Upper motor neurone disorders such as cerebral palsy and stroke are also frequently seen and discussed, as are chronic conditions such as poliomyelitis. The management of these neurological problems is often coordinated in the neurology clinic, and this group, probably more than any other, requires a multidisciplinary team approach. Diagnostic approaches, management, rehabilitation and Orthopaedic treatment of these conditions, with the exception of the peripheral nerve injuries, which require a separate review. COSH, MIOT, Apollo Hospitals, Ortho & Neuro Rehabilitation Centre, Sundaram Medical Foundation, Vijaya Hospital and Global Health City are few options available for this twin department.

TRANSPLANTATION

Transplantation is nothing but a transfer (engraftment) of human cells, tissues or organs from a donor to a recipient with the aim of restoring function(s) in the recipient’s body. When transplantation is performed between two different species, e.g. animal to human, it is named xeno transplantation. Donations from deceased persons should be developed to their maximum therapeutic potential, avoiding whenever possible, the inherent risks to donors, as stated in WHO Guiding Principle 3. There is a recognized need for communities, and health professionals, to become better educated about donation and transplantation and that is the key to the success of ‘deceased’ donation programs. These days we see a change in the mindset of people. They voluntarily donate the organs of their Brain Dead Kith and Kin to the needy. Transplantation may entail ethical and safety risks for both the recipient and the donor, strict controls and effective oversight should be carried out by the health authorities to protect them. Government General Hospital now named as Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai performed first ever Transplant in 1987 and performed its 1000th kidney transplant on March 2012, the highest in any government hospital in the country, of which about 90 were cadaver transplants. COSH, MIOT, Apollo Hospitals, Ortho & Neuro Rehabilitation Centre, Sundaram Medical Foundation, Vijaya Hospital and Global Health City too are capable of performing such Transplantations.