Medical tourism is a fairly new thing. It centres on the fact that some countries offer cheaper cosmetic surgery than in the patient’s home country, even after travel and accommodation are factored in. And medical tourism is a booming business.

India is one country benefiting from a surge in people taking medical holidays. According to their tourism minister, the medical tourism market is growing at a staggering 25% a year and by 2012, it is expected to be worth over $2 billion.

In 2004, India welcomed around 150,000 patients, many from the US and UK, with the industry valued at $333 million. Since then, the number of patients has increased by 20% and the size of the market has increased by 25%. This trend is expected to continue for the next few years.

The medical tourism industry is proving so lucrative that the tourism ministry has developed their own special medical tourism brochure with a CD accompaniment, detailing the various facilities on offer around the country. The ministry has also participated in world-wide campaigns to promote India as an emerging health-care destination.

The promotions appear to be working with a statement from the ministry claiming many potential patients, medical tourism companies, health insurance companies and travel and tour operators contacting them with queries and questions.

For patients wishing to travel to India for cosmetic surgery, a visa will be issued to them plus one companion for a one-year period. This can be extended for up to three years if certain conditions and recommendations from accredited medical authorities and visa authorities are met.

The attraction of having plastic surgery in India is easy to understand – a medical tourist tends to pay a fraction of the price for their surgery, and can recuperate in picturesque surroundings such as Kerala or Goa. According to officials, the average price of heart surgery in the West is $50,000; in India, it costs just $10,000. Similarly, a liver transplant in the West allegedly costs $350,000, whereas in India, the cost is around $50,000.

India is becoming one of the leaders in medical tourism thanks to it’s exceptional facilities India has some fantastic hospitals and treatment centers which are on a par with anything on offer in Europe or the US. The government is hoping that the natural beauty of the country will make it an even more attractive option when patients are choosing a country for their cosmetic surgery needs, working in conjunction with the idea that India provides cosmetic surgery at low-cost but with world-class treatment.