survey on customer satisfaction of medical tourism in india with special reference to kerela state

Survey on Customer Preference of Medical Tourism in India With Reference to Kerala State

NEW HORIZON LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

Survey on Customer Preference of Medical Tourism in India with Special

Reference to Kerala State

Submitted By:

NILADRI DEB ROY

VINESH GOPI KUMARI SAPANA

SMIJO K. SUNNY ASLAM K.

SULAMAN K.V. MANAS PUROHIT

Monitored by

Purushothaman K.Program Coordinator

Post Graduate Diploma in Management

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Acknowledgement

The satisfaction and euphoria that accompany the successful

completion of our project would be incomplete without the mention of those

people who made it possible.

We consider it our privilege to express through the pages of this

report, a few words of gratitude and respect to all those distinguished

personalities who guided and inspired us in the completion of this project.

At the outset, we would like to express our deep sense of gratitude and

sincere thanks to, Dr.S.K.Prasad, Director New Horizon Leadership Institute

for providing an opportunity to discover the corporate governance, from

close perspective.

We are greatly indebted to our internal guide Mr.K.Purushothaman,

Program Coordinator who had been our guiding light throughout the project.

Without his immense help and unfailing support, this would not have been

possible.

We express our deep gratitude to our Ms. Swati Bhandari, Lecturer

for providing details and giving an insight of the corporate world.

Finally we would like to extend our sincere thanks to our classmates,

friends without whose help and the support, this project could not have been

possible.

Niladri Deb Roy, Kumari

Sapana,

Vinesh Gopi, Aslam K.,

Smijo K Sunny,

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Manash Purohit, Sulaman KV

Executive SummaryThis survey is conducted to find out the awareness about medical tourism

among people with special reference to Kerala. As it is said by many, that

Medical Tourism is one of the emerging fields in coming future. Through this

survey conducted we get an insight from which foreign nation do people

come for treatment. What are that they expect, are they satisfied with the

present facilities and if they recommend India as Medical Tourism

destinations what are the various reasons. If they do not recommend then

will they do so. And most important of all which is the source through they

got information regarding Medical Tourism and what medium of support are

they taking while coming to India

The most recent trend in privatization of health services is medical tourism,

which is gaining prominence in developing countries. This has had its effect

in the health sector too, with the emergence of a private sector that thrives

by servicing a small percentage of the population, has the ability to "buy".

Medical tourism can be broadly defined as provision of 'cost effective' private

medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing

surgical and other forms of specialized treatment. This process is being

facilitated by the corporate sector involved in medical care as well as the

tourism industry - both private and public. This has changed the shape of the

medical care sector, because of the entry of corporate sector. Corporate

running institutions work for maximize profits and expanding their coverage

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According to a study by McKinsey and the Confederation of Indian Industry,

medical tourism in India could become a $1 billion business by 2012. The

report predicts that: "By 2012, if medical tourism were to reach 25 per cent

of revenues of private up-market players, up to Rs 10,000 crore will be

added to the revenues of these players". The Indian government predicts

that India's $17-billion-a-year health-care industry could grow 13 per cent in

the next six years. Industry watchers say that it is growing at 30 per cent

annually.

In India, the Apollo group alone has so far treated 95,000 international

patients,. Apollo has been a forerunner in medical tourism in India and

attracts patients from Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The group

has tied up with various hospitals in Mauritius, Tanzania, Bangladesh and

Yemen besides running a hospital in Sri Lanka, and managing a hospital in

Dubai.

Why Kerala? Kerala has gained international attention for Medical Tourism and is

becoming a popular international medical tourism destination. Kerala

ayurveda centers are well established at multiple locations in various metro

cities. Kerala is also known for its beautiful destination in Southern India,

scenic beaches and serene backwaters.

Kerala is famous for its alternative medical therapies such as Ayurveda,

which help to rejuvenate and revitalize the body. What many tourists have

now discovered is that Kerala has a pool of trained doctors and nurses and

an excellent network of hospitals that offer international standard treatments

at very affordable prices. International patients have realized the advantages

of traveling to Kerala.

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The health tourism focus has seen Kerala participate in various trade shows

and expos wherein the advantages of this traditional form of medicine are

showcased. Since introduction of ayurveda in the western world as an

alternative to biomedical treatment, the popularity of the South Asian

medical tradition, ayurveda has been constantly increasing.

Advantages of Medical TourismMedical Vacations Could Be Affordable

For many foreigners, it's often more expensive to receive treatment at their

home than it is to purchase a plane ticket, book a hotel, and pay for all

medical expenses out of pocket in a foreign country.

A case: The New England Journal of Medicine recently detailed an account of

a self-employed carpenter who had an acute mitral-valve prolapse that

required surgery. Estimated fees at the nearest hospital approached

$200,000, half of which needed to be paid in advance. After some more

information, this patient was able to find a hospital in Texas that could

perform the procedure for $40,000. After some more research, the patient

decided to fly to New Delhi, India where he had the procedure performed for

less than $7,000. Shortly after returning to North Carolina, the patient went

back to work with a healthy heart.

Medical Tourism Provides Options

Some countries heavily regulate (or even ban) certain elective procedures or

complicated surgeries. Hip resurfacing, for example, was only recently

approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, despite its widespread

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http://www.healism.com/destinations/main/countries/

http://www.healism.com/procedures/heart_and_blood/overview/

http://www.healism.com/Destinations/India/History_of_New_Delhi/

http://www.healism.com/medical_tourism_safety/malpractice_and_liability/protecting_yourself_against_medical_malpractice/

http://www.healism.com/procedures/overview/procedures/

http://www.healism.com/Travel/Hotels/Overview/

http://www.healism.com/Travel/Flights/Overview/


use and success rate at many popular medical tourism destinations around

the world.

With medical tourism, people can travel to parts of the world where hospitals

specialize in the aforementioned procedures. And it won't be necessary to

break the bank either. Equally important, wait times tend to be considerably

less if people plan for medical vacation accordingly.

Medical Vacations Can Be Fun

For many people, a medical vacation is exactly that... a medical

"vacation."

The fact of the matter is, most of foreigners look for medical treatment from

time to time, and also plan vacations every year or so.

India offers a wide range of exceptional medical facilities at a comparatively

less expense. Making use of the same technology and medical knowledge,

Indian hospitals and doctors offer health care at a substantially less price.

This is one of the primary advantages of medical tourism in India. Making

use of technologically advanced diagnostic equipments and provides

excellent infrastructure which makes it a particularly popular destination for

tourists interested.

Disadvantages of Medical Tourism

Medical Tourism Policies of the Government

If the government gave importance on a series of promotion plans aimed at

encouraging foreign medical tourists to visit the country, the local populace

hardly benefited from these programs. These programs are actually

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http://www.healism.com/destinations/main/countries/

http://www.healism.com/medical_tourism/overview/what_is_medical_tourism?/

http://www.healism.com/Destinations/Main/Countries/


designed to raise revenues. This may given rise to concerns that only cash

rich medical tourists are being catered to by the government which seems to

be neglecting the health of the common man.

Medical Malpractice Dangers

Although most medical tourism facilities (hospitals, dental clinics, etc.) will

have medical malpractice insurance to cover any unforeseen events, seeking

damages can sometimes be difficult in cases of negligence, misdiagnoses, or

incompetence.

Insurance Laws May Vary

Depending on the type of insurance people has, and depending on the type

of procedure one need, people might not be fully covered if they travel

abroad. Tourists will always have to check insurance carrier and see what

portion of the final bill service providers are going to cover.

Travelling Alone

Anytime person may have major surgery done, it's always good to have a

friend or family member present both during and after the procedure. When

flying abroad to receive medical treatment, it is always necessary that

people should take someone along with them. However, this necessarily

drives up the total price of medical vacation since people have to book

flights and hotel reservations for at least two people.

Finding the Best Medical Facility

When looking shop around for hospitals and dental clinics in ones

neighborhood, people can easily visit them in person, check out the facilities,

and meet with hospital staff. But with medical tourism, this type of in-person

reconnaissance becomes a little harder to manage.

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http://www.healism.com/Travel/Hotels/Overview/




http://www.healism.com/medical_tourism/insurance_and_taxes/insurance_and_taxes/

http://www.healism.com/procedures/overview/procedures/

http://www.healism.com/Medical_Tourism/Insurance_and_Taxes/Insurance_and_Taxes/

http://www.healism.com/Medical_Tourism_Safety/Malpractice_and_Liability/Malpractice_and_Liability/

http://www.healism.com/procedures/dental/overview/




Legal Issues Related to Medical Tourism

Medical Visa:

The Indian Government gives Medical Visa for tourists who come to India for

medical treatment. This visa is valid for a year or the period of treatment,

whichever is less, and can be extended by another year. The medical visa

enables a tourist to travel to India up to three times in one year. Two family

members or attendants can also accompany a patient on a medical visa.

Based on the Indian Embassy's assessment of the patients needs, family

members or attendants can be granted a visa, in association with the

patient's medical visa.

Medical Insurance:

Some of the Medical insurance firms in the West may not recognize

treatment at a hospital in India as part of their medical insurance policy.

Thus a patient may have to fund his or her own treatment

Legal Issues:

The legal aspects of medical tourism are undefined at present. All medical

procedures carry an element of risk. Even routine surgery may sometimes

lead to medical complications. A patient may be unsatisfied with the results

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of their surgery or medical treatment, and wish to seek legal recourse.

Currently there is no international legal regulation of medical tourism.

Ethical issues:

There can be major ethical issues around medical tourism. Medical tourism

may raise broader ethical issues for the countries in which it is promoted.

Medical Tourism in South India is an emerging but relatively new field. As a

result, few gray areas in the Indian legal system still persist where medical

tourism and related issues are concerned.

Objective of the Research

The first step in any research is deciding what we want to learn. The

objectives of the project determine whom we will survey and what we will

ask them. If our goals are unclear, the results will probably be unclear.

Objectives are the keys to proceed forward in any research.

To find out whether the customers satisfied with the available facilities.

To find out how do the customers feel about the treatment carried out in

INDIA.

To find out which nation/state do the customers come from.

To find out what are their basic expectations form the tourism package.

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To find out what are the sources through which they came to know about

medical tourism in INDIA.

To find out the percentage of awareness about Medical Tourism among

people

Scope of the Research

Helps in identifying the potential market for medical tourism.

Helps in analyzing the potential market and discovering suitable

promotional strategies to attract them.

To find out the customer’s perception about medical tourism.

To find the comfortable level of the customers with the available facilities.

To find out from which nation is percentage of tourists is more

The Medical Tourism Agencies and Government can thus, focus on its

strategies to develop all factors that impinge on the construction on the

brand image to ascertain their effectiveness on building awareness on the

medical tourism.

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Research MethodologyResearch methodology is the core of any research. Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be understood as a science of studying how the research is done scientifically. It is necessary for the researcher to know not only the research methods/techniques but also the methodology and need to know how to develop certain indices or tests, how to calculate mean, median or the standard deviation or chi-square, how to apply particular research techniques, but they also need to know which of these methods or techniques are relevant and which are not, and what would they mean and indicate and why.

Researchers also need to understand the assumptions underlying various techniques and they need to know the criteria by which they can decide that certain techniques and procedures will be applicable to certain problems and others will not.

Why the research study has been undertaken, how the research problem has been defined, in what way and why the hypothesis has been formulated, what data have been collected and what particular method has been adopted, why particular technique of analyzing data has been used and a host of similar other questions are usually answered when we talk of research methodology concerning a research problem or study. In a research, the researcher has to expose the research decisions to evaluation before they are implemented. He has to specify very clearly and precisely what decisions he selects and why he selects them so that they can be evaluated by others also.

Research Design

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A research design is a framework or blueprint for conducting the market research. It details the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure and / or solving market research problem. In other words, research design constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of data. It aids the scientist in the allocation of his limited resources by posing crucial choices.

Research design is the plan and structure of investigation so conceived as to obtain answers to research questions. The plan is the overall scheme or program of the research. It includes an outline of what the investigator will do from writing hypotheses and their operational implications to the final analysis of data. A structure is the frame work research design expresses both the structure of the research problem and the plan of investigation used to obtain empirical evidence on relations of the problem. Thus research design provides the framework to be used as a guide in collecting

and analyzing data.

Sampling Method and Technique UsedSample design

In the most of the research programs, it is not possible to target each and every person and all cannot be interviewed for this position. Sampling is necessary and there should be particular ways and procedure of sampling. Sampling is the selection of few items. The respondents selected should be as representative of total production. For this study the research has used sampling technique.

Sampling plan

Sampling plan is the listing of who is to be surveyed? How many people to be surveyed? How to be surveyed? The following are the components of the sampling plan, with respect to this study:

Sample size=112

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Sample size refers to the number of elements to be included in the study. An important technique or decision that has to be taken while adopting a sampling technique is the sample size.

. Sampling technique

Sampling may be known as the selection of some part of an aggregate of totality on the basis of which judgment or inference of aggregate totality is made. It is a process of obtaining information about the entire population by examining only a part of it.

Non probability sampling method

The survey done here is a non probability sampling type. This sampling method doesn’t follow any standard procedure and selects the units with unknown probability. This method is directly opposite to the probability sampling method. Type of non-probability sampling used is the convenience sampling.

Convenience sampling: Here the researchers are selecting the sampling method by selecting the sample units based on researchers’ convenience. Cause

The population is not clearly defined. Sample unit is not clear. Complete list is not available

Sources of DataSources of Data

Two main sources of collecting the data have been used for the conduct of the research-primary and the secondary source.

Primary Source

A well-defined sample unit, as surveyed by conducting a descriptive research, for serving the purpose of primary data. The sample unit was personally interviewed with a structured questionnaire.

Secondary Source

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The first step in any study is to analyze the secondary data. Secondary data for this study was collected through Internet, trade journals and business magazines.

In this research study the analysis is done on the basis of the primary data collected from the customers through questionnaire and direct personal interview method as well as secondary data collected through internet, and different magazine

Method Adopted for CommunicationMethod adopted for communication was Direct Communication with the respondents. The customers are surveyed with the Questionnaires designed for the same.

Instrument Design

In this research process the instrument used to collect data is questionnaire method. Quite often questionnaire is considered as the heart of a survey operation. Hence it should be carefully constructed.

The study was conducted with the help of survey method. A Direct

Communication, accompanied with a structured questionnaire, was

designed. All the trivial aspects governing the study were covered in

the questionnaire.

A structured set of questionnaire was presented to the sample. The

questionnaire was constructed with open ended, closed ended and

multiple choice questions. The open ended questions allow the

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respondents to give all possible answers as they are not restricted;

closed ended, on the other hand, provides answers that are easy to

interpret and tabulate. Multiple – choice question encourages the

respondent to describe and choose the options given.

The data, so collected from the questionnaire, was processed and

tabulated. They were then analyzed by using percentage tools.

Tools Used for Data AnalysisStatistical Tools

The statistical tools used for data analysis is “Percentage method” and data has been tabulated and represented using bar charts and pie charts.

Software Tools

The software used for the data analysis is Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.

Limitations of the studyThe method used for collecting the data is time consuming.

The data collected from the study may be ambiguous in some cases.

Difficult to collect the information from the respondents completely at

the time of the study.

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The information obtained from the students, based on the

questionnaire, is assumed to be factual.

Due to shortage of time the survey had to be restricted only in few

places of Kerala.

The sample size is too small to be a actual representative of entire

population.

Interpretation:

Tables, Graphical Representation and Findings

Interpreted information:

The first part of the survey findings on the customer perception about

Medical Tourism indicates that around 67% of the respondents belong to the

age group of 25 to 45. From this finding we can infer that most of the

medical tourism tourists are youth from foreign nations. So the promotional

offers used to attract medical tourists could be more youth oriented. The

perception about Medical Tourism is good among the youth, whatever

strategies are being used to promote Medicare right now do not encourage

aged people to travel to foreign nation for treatment. From the 67% of

respondents 30%, 10%, 16% and 11% belong to the age group between 25-

30, 30-35, 35-40 and 40-45 respectively. (Table 1)

Table 1: Age distribution of the respondents

Age Total Percentage

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groups25-30 34 30%30-35 12 10%35-40 18 16%40-45 13 11%45-50 6 5%50-55 15 13%55-60 5 4%Above 60 9 8%

Graphical representation of age distribution of the respondents

25-3031%

30-3510%

35-4016%

40-4511%

45-505%

50-5513%

55-604%

Above 608%

Age groups

Interpreted information

The second finding of the survey infer that most of the respondents are male than female. This indicates that the medical tourism field is very much male dominated. The present promotion or facilities or services do not encourage female to participate actively. The future promotional offers should give more emphasis to woo the female customers by providing better facilities and services. If the promoters try to attract more female, than they can make a huge amount of money as females always travel in groups, either

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with family or friends. They could attract more female by providing an exclusively special offer for women only. About 61% of the respondents were males (Table 2)

Table 2: Gender of the respondents

Gender Total Percentage

Male 69 61%

Female 43 38%

Graphical representation of the gender distribution of the respondents

61%

38%

Gender

MaleFemale


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The third finding of the survey infers that all the respondents are educated. 70% of the respondents are well educated, out of the 70%, 37% were graduates, 24% were post graduates and 7% were PhDs. 5% of the respondents have attended below high school and 25% attended high school. In other words we can say that 70% of the respondents are able to understand the importance of quality facility and service provided by the Medical Tourism agencies (Table 3)

Table 3: Educational background of the respondents

Qualifications Total Percentage

Below High School

6 5%

High School 28 25%

Graduate 42 37%

Post Graduate 27 24%

PhD. 8 7%

Graphical representation educational background of the respondents

Below High School

5%

High School26%

Graduate38%

Post Graduate24%

PhD.7%

Qualifications


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The fourth finding of the survey infers that more than half of the respondents are married. This indicates that more number of married couples indulge in Medical Tourism. About 60 % of the respondents are married and 38% of the respondents were not married (Table 4).

Table 4: Martial Status of the respondents

Marital Status

Total Percentage

Married 69 61%

Unmarried 43 38%

Graphical representation of marital status distribution of respondents

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61%

38%

MarriedUnmarried


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The fifth finding of the survey infers that major chunk of the tourists are from US and UAE. Apart from US and UAE tourist, the distribution of respondents from different nations is well and very encouraging for a small population defined in this survey. The finding shows that awareness in US and UAE about Medical Tourism in India is good, although relatively awareness in other countries like Canada, Australia and Russia are not lagging behind. But apart from these few nations coming of tourists from other nations does not show a very healthy sign, countries like French, Italy, Italy, German, Spain and Japan. About 16% of the respondents are from US, 12% from UAE, 8% from Canada, 9% from Australia and 8% from Russia (Table 5)

Table 5: Nationality of the respondents

Graphical representation of distribution of respondents from different nations

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Nation Total Percentage

America 19 16%

French 3 2%

Italy 4 3%

Canada 10 8%

Finland 4 3%

German 3 2%

Spain 3 2%

India 28 25%

Australia 11 9%

Russia 9 8%

UAE 14 12%

Japan 3 2%

Others 1 .89%


America17%

French 2%

Italy3%Canada

9%Finland

3%German2%

Spain2%

India27%

Aus-tralia10%

Russia9%

UAE13%

Japan2%

Others1%

Nations


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The sixth finding of the survey infers that most of the tourists come to India, Kerala, for holidays and others for Medical Care. Although healthy percentage of the respondents agreed that they came to Kerala for both holidays and Medical Care. While the section of the percentage opting for others came to Kerala for various reasons like religious and culture. 41 % of the respondents agreed that they came to Kerala for holidays, 27% agreed they came for Medical Care, 20% for both and 3.5% for religious and cultural reasons. The purpose of this question being asked is that, it can be an indicator that whether Tourists actually come to Kerala for Medical Treatments or just for relaxation (Table 6)

Table 6: Purpose of visit by the respondents

Purpose of visit Total PercentageMedical Care 31 27%Holiday 47 41%Both 23 20%Others 4 3.5%

Graphical representation of the various purpose of visit by the respondents

Medical Care30%

Holiday45%

Both22%

Others4%

Purpose of visit

Interpreted Information

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The seventh finding of the survey infers that the source of information which helped to publicize Medical Tourism in big way is internet (World Wide Web). About 44% of the respondents agreed that the source which helped them to gather information about Medical Tourism is internet, while about 35% of the respondents agreed that it is rather mouth to mouth information which gave them ample information about Medical Tourism, i.e. through family or friends who had already visited Kerala or rather had heard it from other people. 13% of the respondent’s source of information was news paper and for 14% of the respondents it was magazines. The finding indicates that internet is a medium through publicity of the Medical Tourism in India could encourage more tourists to participate (Table 7)

Table 7: Source of information about Medical Tourism

Source of information Total PercentageNews Papers 15 13%Magazines 22 19%Internet 50 44%Others( family, friends,etc) 40 35%

Graphical representation of various source of information regarding Medical Tourism

News Papers12%

Magazines17%

Internet40%

Others( family, friends,etc)

32%

Source of information

Interpreted Information

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The eight finding of the survey infers that most of the support given to the tourists regarding medical tourism comes from private agencies. The support provided by the travel agencies is better than what government of India or state government provides. Most of the respondents had agreed that government related agencies are not up to the mark. The respondents feel that the service and facilities provided by private and travel agencies are far better. 49% of the respondents have taken support from private agencies, 18% have taken support from travel agencies, 16% of the respondents agreed taking support from government driven agencies and around 15% of the respondents have taken support from either friends or an acquaintance. The basic idea of the question is to find out what type of agencies do people prefer when it comes to Medical Tourism (Table 8)

Table 8: Medium of support for the respondents regarding Medical Tourism

Support for Med. Tour. Total PercentageGovt. of India/State Govt. 19 16%Private Agencies 55 49%Travel Agencies 21 18%Others 17 15%

Graphical representation of various sources of support for Medical Tourism

Govt. of India/State

Govt.16%

Private Agencies

50%

Travel Agencies

18%Others

15%

Support for Med. Tour.


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The ninth finding of the survey is to find out whether the respondents have any sort of medical insurance or health insurance. The finding shows that almost equal percentage of respondents have health insurance with respect to other respondents who do not have any kind of health insurance. 35 % have agreed that they have a health insurance whereas 30% of the respondents have agreed that they do not have any kind of health insurance. The purpose of the question is to find out legal and insurance awareness among the respondents (Table 9)

Table 9: Possession of health insurance by the respondents

Health insurance

Total Percentage

Yes 40 35%

No 37 33%

Graphical representation of possession of health insurance by the respondents

35%

33%

Health insurance

YesNo

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The tenth finding of the survey is that what type of health care centers the respondents usually prefer to go. The finding infers that about 47% of the respondents came down to Kerala for actual treatment in private hospitals. While rest of the respondents preferring Ayurvedic, Yoga and other such centers came down for holidays and conventional treatments along with relaxation. 31% of the respondents agreed visiting Ayurvedic centers. 25% agreed visiting Yoga centers 9.8% agreed visiting Unani centers while around 13% percentage of the respondents agreed to have visited such other health care centers (Table 10)

Table 10: Type of health care centers visited by the respondents

Health care centers Total Percentage

Private hospitals 53 47%

Ayurvedic centers 35 31%

Yoga centers 28 25%

Unani centers 11 9.8%

Others 15 13%

Graphical representation of various health care centers visited

Private hospitals37%

Ayurvedic centers25%

Yoga centers20%

Unani centers8%

Others10%

Health care centers

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The eleventh finding of the survey infers, the satisfaction level among the respondents regarding the facilities, services and security being provided. 65% of the respondents have agreed that they were satisfied by the services and facilities in and around the health care centers and agencies supporting them. 34% of the respondents have shown dissatisfaction with the facilities and services, and agreed that there is ample and huge scope for improvement which is necessary (Table 11)

Table 11: Respondents satisfaction level

Satisfaction Total Percentage

Yes 73 65%

No 39 34%

Graphical representation of the respondent’s satisfaction level

65%

34%

Satisfaction

YesNo

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The twelfth finding of the survey infers, whether they will recommend about Medical Tourism in India and others to visit. 74% of the respondents have shown keenness to recommend India, Kerala, as Medical Tourism destination and urge other to visit India. On the other hand 25% of the respondents have denied that they will recommend India as Medical Tourism destination to anybody (Table 12)

Table 12: Recommendation for Medical Tourism by the respondents to any

Recommendation

Total Percentage

Yes 83 74%

No 29 25%

Graphical representation of recommendation for Medical Tourism by the respondents

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74%

25%

Recommendation

YesNo


Treatments being cost effective will attract more number of tourists from different nations because in few of the nations the cost for medical treatment is too high, people will always prefer cheaper means of treatment. Better technological support for treatment is very essential for attracting tourists as providing cheaper treatment with no technological support will meet no ends. The technology being provided must be advanced as it is very competitive these days, people will always prefer places with advance technology treatment. Medical Tourism packages offered by the agencies should be attractive to pull tourists; tourists will be more attracted if there are good discount offers being provided. World class infrastructure facilities attract tourists from all over the world. To retain tourists from round the world it is necessary to have services and facilities of world class standard. Good friendly and cooperative environment helps to attract tourists in the long run; if the atmosphere is not conducive enough tourists will refrain from coming. Insurance cover up is a major issue while endorsing Medical Tourism. All type of insurance cover facilities provides a platform easier hassle free process. There should be well trained and qualified professionals under taking the treatment because it instills confidence among the tourists that they are in safe hands. If the Medical Tourism package includes travel and leisure, health plus happiness it becomes a big bonus point for the

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agencies to attract tourists. Language and communication may become a huge barrier for tourists coming from different nations. 46% of the respondents feel that treatments are cheaper. 22% feel there is availability of better technology. 20% feel that good discounts offers are being facilitated in holiday packages. 16% feel world class facilities are being provided. 25% feel that they have experienced good services, friendly and cooperative environment. 16% feel that all type of insurance exists. 24% feel that well qualified and trained professionals are available here. 30% agree that along with treatment travel and leisure, health and happiness are being provided. 20% feel they have not faced any problem due to language (Table 13)

Table 13: Reasons for recommendation by the respondents

Reasons Total Percentage

a* 52 46%

b* 25 22%

c* 23 20%

d* 18 16%

e* 28 25%

f* 18 16%

g* 27 24%

h* 34 30%

i* 23 20%

Note: a*….. See annexure 1 Page No. 39 Ques. No. 22

Graphical representation of reasons for recommendation

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a*21%

b*10%

c*9%d*

7%

e*11%f*

7%

g*11%

h*14%

i*9%

Reasons


Few of the reasons for not recommending Medical Tourism in India may be; treatments are costly when compared to other nations. Outdated technologies are being used than elsewhere. There is no proper planned infrastructure facility available. People are very hostile towards the foreigners. There were no discounts offered or available. The services are unsatisfactory and very poor. The problem faced by the difference in language is a huge problem which effects proper communication and makes things difficult to understand. All kinds of insurance cover are not being provided; this can be a major turn off factor, as the tourists are forced to pay the treatment bills of their own. There is shortage or non availability of trained and qualified professionals. There are no proper tourism facilities available or any kind of travel packages. There is a problem in foreign exchange transfers, as major chunk of the tourists are from different nations this could create a huge problem to attract tourists in India. The environment is not clean and polluted; the health conscious tourists may opt for other places which are pollution free. The safety of the tourists is of prime importance be it in public places or while undergoing treatment. This is the minimum criteria that should be fulfilled (Table 14)

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Table 14: Reasons for not recommendation by the respondents

Reasons Total Percentage

a* 12 10%

b* 4 3%

c* 12 10%

d* 3 2%

e* 5 4%

f* 4 3%

g* 11 9%

h* 5 4%

i* 5 4%

j* 3 2%

k* 8 7%

l* 4 3%

m* 12 10%

Note: a*……. See annexure Page No. 39 Ques. No 23

Graphical representation of reasons for not recommending

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a*14% b*

4%

c*14%

d*3%

e*6%

f*4%

g*13%h*

6%

i*6%

j*3%

k*10%

l*4%

m*14%

Reasons


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The fifteenth finding of the survey infers that whether the tourists coming to India are member of any health care centers. Membership will force the respondents to use the facilities of that particular health care center, in other words we can say that they will be a customer for that particular health care center for a longer period of time. The finding tells that almost all the respondents are not members of any health care centers. 9% of the respondents agreed that they are member of health care center. 90% agreed that they not members of any health care centers (Table 15)

Table 15: Membership of the respondents in any health care centers

Membership

Total Percentage

Yes 11 9%

No 101 90%

Graphical representation of the membership in any health care centers

9%

90%

Membership

YesNo

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The sixteenth finding of the survey infers how many types of health care centers or private hospitals have been visited by the respondents. This will give us an indication as to which hospital and health care centers is the most preferred one. About 11% of respondents have agreed that they went for treatment in Apollo hospitals, 7% in CMC Vellore, 8% in Manipal hospitals, below 1% agreed that they have gone to Wockhart hospitals and a significant number of respondents, 46%, have agreed to have gone in other small Ayurvedic centers, Yoga centers and Unani centers (Table 16)

Table 16: Health care centers/Private hospitals visited by the respondents

Health care centers/Hospitals

Total Percentage

Apollo hospitals 13 11%CMC Vellore 8 7%Manipal hospitals 9 8%Wockhart hospitals 1 .89%Others 52 46%

Graphical representation of various health care centers/Hospitals visited

11%

7%

8%

1%

46%

Health care centers/Hospitals

Apollo hospitalsCMC VelloreManipal hospitalsWockhart hospitalsOthers

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ConclusionIndia is fast becoming a preferred Medical Tourism destination. This is because of the cost effective treatment available with advanced technologies being used. The facilities are being provided by well trained and qualified professionals in a world class environment. The most of the tourists indulging in Medical Tourism are within the age group of 25-45. The tourists coming from foreign nation are educated. US and UAE are the main source of tourists. The study reveals that tourists prefer to take support from private and travel agencies than any government undertaken agencies. Internet is the most used source of information besides news paper, magazines, family and friends. The tourists prefer to come to India for treatment and subsequent travel because it is more cost effective with world class standard are maintained for treatment, services and facilities. The study also reveals that almost all tourists are not member of any health care centers. Most of the respondents agreed that they are satisfied with the facilities in and around Kerala. The awareness about Medical Tourism among most of the people is not good, since most of the respondents agree that they came to Kerala for holiday and subsequent luxury treatment. But most of the respondents are not here for serious treatments. The study shows that married couples are more involved in Medical Tourism. Apollo hospitals is the most frequently visited hospital apart from Manipal and CMC hospitals by the respondents, though the percentage of visit by the respondents to small Ayurvedic and Yoga centers are more. The study of customer perception regarding Medical Tourism shows that a lot of work has to be done to promote Medical Tourism awareness among people. The government as well as private institution should take care to provide world class standard facilities and follow advanced technologies for treatment procedures along with the simplified process of issues related to health insurance. This should be done keeping in mind that their other destination which offer cheaper treatment with advanced technology; like Singapore and Thailand.

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SuggestionsBased on the findings of the survey the health care centers, private hospitals, government hospitals and other Medical Tourism agencies can implement these suggestions for improving their services and promotion of their centers which could bring in more tourists resulting in increased revenues. The few of the suggestions are as follows:

The promoters should concentrate more on attracting older people above the age of 55.

The promoters should concentrate more on publicity of Medical Tourism as the awareness about Medical Tourism among people is very low.

The promoters can concentrate to attract tourists from all over the globe not merely US.

The heath care centers can also dispatch membership card to their customers, this will result in retaining of the customers for a longer period of time.

The promoters can encourage the tourists to recommend their health care centers to others as mouth to mouth information is effective and does not any money.

The promoters should ensure that they cover all kinds of health insurance provided in different nations, and encourage customers to take up health insurance, as this will simplify the transaction process.

The promoters should hold various campaigns in different nations and

continents and offer better discount packages.

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Annexure 1: Questionnaire

SURVEY ON CUSTOMER PREFERENCE OF MEDICAL TOURISM IN INDIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KERALA STATE

Medical Tourism India or Health Tourism India is a developing concept whereby people from world over visit India for their medical and relaxation needs. We, the students of first Year PGDM are carrying out a study on ‘Medical Tourism in India with special reference to state of Kerala’. This study is purely academic and your view would be appreciated and will be kept confidential. Please spend few minutes in filling up this questionnaire.

1. Age:

25-30[ ] 30-35[ ] 35-40[ ] 40-45[ ] 45-50[ ] 50-55[ ] 55-60[ ] ABOVE

60[ ]

2. Gender: M / F

3. Educational qualifications:

4. Occupation:

5. Marital status: Married / Unmarried

6. Annual income:

7. Nationality:

8. Which state:

9. How many times have you visited any state in India?

10. Purpose of your visit:

a) Medical care [ ] b) Holiday [ ]c) Both [ ]d) Others please specify______________

11. Could you please tell us the source of information about medical tourism?

News Paper [ ] Magazines [ ] Internet [ ]

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Others please specify _______________________________

13. From where did you get the support for medical tourism?a) Govt. of India/ state govt. [ ]b) Private agencies [ ]c) Travel agencies [ ]d) Others please specify__________

14. What kind of support did you receive? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Which type of treatment you have been undergone?

16. Do you have health insurance? Yes / No

17. If yes, please mention the type?_____________________________________________________________

18. Apart from Kerala, which are the other places that you have visited in India?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. Type of health care centers visited:a) Private hospitals [ ] b) Ayurvedic centers [ ]c) Yoga centers [ ]d) Unani centers [ ]e) Any others specify …………..

20. Are you satisfied with the medical tourism facilities? Yes / No

21. Would you recommend anyone to opt for medical tourism facilities of any of Indian states: Yes / No

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22. If Yes. Why?a) Treatments are cost effective [ ]b) Better technological support for treatment is available [ ]c) Good offers or Discounts are provided here [ ]d) World class Infrastructure facilities are available [ ]e) Good services and friendly & cooperative atmosphere [ ]f) Insurance cover up [ ]g) Well-qualified and trained professionals [ ]h) Treatment plus Travel and leisure, Health plus Happiness [ ]i) Faced no Language/ communication barrier [ ]

23. If No. Why?

a) Treatments are costly [ ]

b) Outdated technology [ ]c) No proper infrastructure facilities are given [ ]d) People are hostile

[ ]e) No discounts or offers are available [ ]f) Poor and unsatisfactory services [ ]g) Communication is a big issue. Language barrier exists [ ]h) Insurance cover is not there

[ ]i) Non availability of trained professionals [ ]j) Unavailability of proper tourism facilities or travel packages [ ]k) Problem in Foreign exchange transfers [ ]l) Polluted and congested environment [ ] m)Safety concerns

24. Are you a member of any of the health care centers? Yes /

No

25. Health care centers/ private hospitals visited

a) Apollo hospitals [ ]

b) CMC Vellore [ ]

c) Manipal hospitals [ ]

d) Wockhart hospitals [ ]

e) Any others specify………….

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26. Kindly share any of your experiences

27. Any suggestions/recommendations

Signature

Annexure 2: Bibliography

Department of Social Sciences, Societies & Medicines in South Asia (Christoph CYRANSKI , University of Heidelberg,, Germany )

www.rncs.com

www.medicaltravel.com

www.medicaltourismtourism.com

www.bioethics.georgetown.edu

Page 42

http://www.bioethics.georgetown.edu/

http://www.medicaltourismtourism.com/

http://www.medicaltravel.com/

http://www.rncs.com/

survey on customer satisfaction of medical tourism in india with special reference to kerela state

Documents

medical tourism destinations

tourism industry

medical care sector

alternative medical

kerala statesubmitted

southern india

kerala ayurveda centers

private sector