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Thiruvananthapuram: Tourism industry has always been the backbone of Kerala's economy.
With visitors from world over thronging to admire the scenic beauty of the famous backwaters, there’s a bubble waiting to burst in God’s own country.
Medical tourism is the buzzword in Kerala and the state government seems to have cracked the winning combination of fun and well.
For many tourists like 50-year-old Clay Andersson from Carolina, Kerala is already a winner.
Anderson came to Kerala hoping for a relaxed holiday. But groin pains from hernia sent him looking for a reliable surgeon. He found one in Kerala, at one-fifth of what it would have cost him back home, without having to sacrifice his holiday.
“Tourism is already established in Kerala and people come for that, combine it with possibilities of medicines and Kerala is a clear winner,” says Anderson.
Apart from many indigenous cures, herbal therapies and healing procedures, Ayurveda seems to have struck a healthy chord with the patients.
The rapid mushrooming of Ayurveda centres and resorts have given the modern medical practitioners a serious run for their money.
“People come to India because of Ayurveda as it’s expensive in Germany. Moreover, Ayurveda is done by doctors who are from India. Ayurveda and herbal treatments are the future of Kerala,” says German tourist, Hans Nowak.
The Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Thiruvananthapuram had about 450 international patients in 2003. Last year, the figure swelled up to nearly 4,700.
However, the fall in public health infrastructure, witnessed by the recent Chikungunya outbreak raised fears of this boom going kaput in the wings.
“I will not go for medical tourism where you have chikunguniya and dengue. I need to have good environment. So Kerala should look at its infrastructure, environment, pollution levels and waste management. If this is dealt, there won't be any problem for medical tourism,” says Chief Managing Director of KIMS, M I Sahadullah.
A boom in medical tourism is undoubtedly round the corner, but unless the state administration gets its public health functions right, it will only remain a bubble waiting to burst.
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