The quality of your health directly impacts the quality of your life. And now more than ever it is easy to be healthy. There are gyms and spas round every corner. Every hospital will provide nutrition guidance and help you plan a lifestyle that is tailored to keep you healthy Health is big business, worth billions and billions of rupees. From pharmaceutical companies to the thriving alternative remedy providers such as acupuncture and ayurveda, from the licensed medical practitioners such as doctors and nurses to the more peripheral and loosely structured health care providers, health represents a large chunk of any functional economy and health is always one of the prime indicators for development studies. Health is also fast becoming a viable source of income for the national economy with the rise of health tourism. Countries like India are ideally poised to benefit greatly from health related developments. As of now our billion plus population has inadequate access to health care, which means that there is a vast scope for the development of a health infrastructure: from hospitals to medical services, from doctors and nurses to more easily affordable medication, India has ample room and scope to improve and grow, which is good news not just for the economy but for the people. Added to which is the incentive of medical tourism, which is poised to be a major economic boost. As healthcare becomes increasingly expensive in first world countries many people are looking to travel to countries like India which can provide world class health care at a fraction of the cost. But health, at the end of the day is not a commodity that can be purchased. Health is a state of being, and a fragile state of being at that. Unfortunately, we tend to take health for granted until we are jolted out of our complacency by a rude event such as an illness. To be healthy today is admittedly not an easy goal. The long evolutionary process of which we are the end result geared the human body towards a life which the vast majority of us no longer live. Industrialization and development have led to a life style that is at complete variance with our evolutionary processes. We lead, for the large part, sedentary lives that entail little or no physical exertion. The food we eat is no longer a means of sustenance. It is by and large a form of indulgence and sensory gratification. Added to all of these changes is the spectre of new and mutating forms of viruses and diseases such as the latest one, the Swine Flu, which is currently poised on the verge of becoming a level six pandemic, according to the World Health Organisation. Health is a gift that needs to be nurtured and taken care of. Fortunately, it is entirely within our power to do so. The basic unit of health is our body and unless we abuse it to an intolerable level, it only requires basic maintenance. If you are merely unfit and as yet disease free then all you have to do is take care of your body. Exercise, in whatever form appeals to you, and a balanced diet will help you maintain healthy status without undue stress. The upside to maintaining physical health is the fact that you tend to function better in mental and emotional terms when you are physically we l l . Even if you have discovered the value of health the hard way, by falling ill or suffering from a lifestyle disease such as diabetes, health is a still an achievable goal for you. Managing a disease is possible with the right combination of exercise, diet and medical care. "With mean age increasing in our country, more and more people present with geriatric problems like arthritis, cardiac ailments, hypertension, senile eye problems and cancer. There is a lot of focus on improving the Quality of life of these Geriatric patients and now technology has made it possible to undergo safe surgery like Joint Replacement", says Dr. Dinesh Batra, CEO, Primus Super Specialty Hospital The bottom line is a simple one; the quality of your health directly impacts the quality of your life. And now more than ever it is easy to be healthy. There are gyms and spas round every corner. Every hospital will provide nutrition guidance and help you plan a lifestyle that is tailored to keep you healthy. So don't wait, be healthy. Test your health To know the current state of your health count your breaths per minute. If they are around 8-10 then there is nothing to worry; 12-15 start yoga; over 15 then immediate corrective measures are required. Yoga and Sanatan Kriya prescribe techniques to regulate your breath flow so that you feel charged up and radiate health. Let's take up a technique of this kriya as prescribed by Yogi Ashwini to regulate and synchronize the breath with the body's biorhythms. Bhramari Pranayama: Use your thumbs to shut your ears and put your fingers at the back of your head; then shut yours eyes and make a humming sound like that of a male bee. Hold for as long as you can. Repeat this five times daily. Enjoy health and vigour.
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Even the most meticulously-planned trip can go off the rails when you fall into silly travel traps. Plan and execute the trip in such a way that you do not have to deal with headaches and last-minute changes. Getting the most thrill out of a new destination depends on how foolproof your travel plans are. So before you start packing for your next holiday, here’s a pocket guide to travel know-how for a smooth experience. 1 - NOT BOOKING ENOUGH CONNECTION TIME BETWEEN FLIGHTS Travel experts suggest that you must leave a window of at least an hour-and-a-half between connecting flights to significantly lessen your chances of missing your flight or having your luggage lost. The 30-45 minute gap is often not enough, especially at large airports where the gates are far apart and commuting from one gate to another takes a couple of minutes. And, remember, never rely on airlines to do the time calculation for you. 2 - ASSUMING YOUR PASSPORT IS TRAVEL-READY Certain countries demand that passports be valid for three-six months past the date of your flight home. Check the expiry date way ahead of planning your holiday. Since routine passport processing takes about four to six weeks, apply for a passport in advance. If you’re a frequent flyer, flip through the passport to check if there are enough pages. Countries like South Africa require you to have one fully blank visa page in the passport. Without the requisite number of pages, you may be refused entry. 3 - PURCHASING FLIGHT TICKETS AT THE WRONG TIME The hardest part is knowing when to stop tracking fares and make that final purchase. Sale schemes can save you a lot of money but figure out whether they are genuine. Usually, airline ticket prices go up in the last two weeks before flying, so try to make the call before this deadline. And if you are travelling abroad, book tickets even earlier – three to six months in advance. Keep in mind that many airlines come up with discounts on Tuesdays – so if you decide to buy on a Monday, you may regret your decision when your destination goes on sale the next day. 4 - NOT MAKING USE OF YOUR FREQUENT FLYER POINTS Why pay a fare at all when you can use your frequent flier miles? But for redeeming them, you need to make a booking early. Airlines designate a very limited number of seats on each flight as eligible for reward travel, and these seats go quickly. Moreover, if you lack enough points to buy a ticket or upgrade it, remember you can amass those thousands of points when shopping for your favourite brands on the airline’s retail shopping portal. Often, you can even rent cars from affiliated companies, book restaurants and do a whole lot more – all you need to do is go on their website to check. 5 - CHOOSING ‘CHEAP’ OVER ‘CONVENIENT’ HOTEL When the description of your hotel says “near city market”, triple check before considering it. The word ‘near’ is open to vast interpretation. A more expensive hotel in the middle of where the action is, will be far more convenient and budget-friendly than staying in the interiors and spending time and money on transport. Taxi fares in certain cities are outrageous. Moreover, if you wish to get back to the hotel and relax for a bit before having dinner, you can’t do it if your hotel is 45 minutes away from the city. 6 - NOT CHANGING MONEY BEFORE LEAVING Always do your research about currency exchange centres in your city that give the best deal. When on an international trip, the most common myth is that only amateurs change currency at the airport, because the exchange rate for foreign currency will be better in the destination town. Yes, it may be, but what if you don’t find currency exchange centres at a nearby spot? If it’s an unknown city, your problem gets worse. Therefore, it’s always wise to carry a minimum amount for cab fares and other small expenses before you leave. 7 - NOT BUYING SOMETHING YOU LIKE AS SOON AS YOU SEE IT You loved that funky skirt at the beach stall but you’re not buying it, thinking you’ll surely get a better deal and a better version elsewhere. Unfortunately, you may not. And not having it will haunt you for the rest of your life. You may also think you can go back to that same shop if you don’t get it elsewhere. It rarely happens as you already have designated days for your travel. You’d rather visit the unexplored places. So when you like something, use your bargaining skills well and just buy it. 8 - HANDING VALUABLE POSSESSIONS TO STRANGERS You may be forced to gatecheck your hand luggage. Place your valuables and essentials like jewellery, iPad, camera, house and car keys, medication — and anything else you can’t live without — in a pouch or a ziplock inside your carry-on. If you must surrender your carry-on to a flight attendant at the last minute, you can just remove the pouch and keep it with you. This way you won’t be worried about your items. Plus, you could use them whenever you need them. 9 - PAYING HIGH CREDIT CARD FEES Some credit cards charge a fortune as foreign-transaction fee; if you’re withdrawing a foreign currency the exchange rate will be miserably high – while others charge minimal fees or nothing. So do your research well and choose the card that doesn’t empty your pocket. A lot of credit cards offer great additional travel perks (such as extra points for dining or free checked baggage) and are free for the first year, so you can make use of them. 10 - SCUFFLING WITH LOCAL LOGISTICS Sometimes, you may not stay at a great hotel but you need a good concierge to assist you with booking tours, making theatre and restaurant reservations, provide an English-speaking guide, instruct the cab drivers in the local language etc. What you can do is walk up to the concierge desk of the nearest five-star hotel. They will be happy to help even if you’re not staying with them. Just be sure to tip them. The tourism industry could convert crisis into opportunity The economic downturn and the terror attacks in Mumbai have adversely impacted tourism. But in many ways tourism is an antidote to terrorism; tourism is a catalyst for employment creation, income redistribution and poverty alleviation. One of the best ways to fight the terrorists is to support India’s beleaguered tourism industry. The Indian tourism industry will be resilient and bounce back as it did post-September 2001. The present crisis presents an opportunity. There was an even bigger crisis in Indian tourism in 2001-02. The attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, war in Afghanistan, withdrawal of flights, attack on Parliament House in New Delhi and troop mobilisation on the India-Pakistan border meant that Indian hotels had just 20-25 per cent occupancy. International tour operators had removed India from their sale brochures and inbound Indian tour operators had switched to outbound operations. Then tourism was positioned as a major driver of India’s economic growth and its direct and multiplier effects were harnessed for employment generation, economic development and providing impetus to infrastructure development. At a time, when the national tourism boards of Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia had stopped their advertising, promotion and marketing budgets, the ‘Incredible India’ campaign was launched to bring back consumer demand, generate momentum and enhance growth in the tourism industry. This was also a period when the tourist infrastructure around Ajanta Ellora, Mahabalipuram, Kumbalgarh, Chittorgarh, the Buddhist circuit and at Humayun’s Tomb was improved. The Indian tourism sector had been crippled by the limited air services, seat capacity and high ticket prices. Changes were ushered in this sector. It started with the permission to ASEAN carriers to operate to seven Indian metros, permitting low-cost carriers to launch operations, liberalisation of charter policy, the opening up of the UK bilaterals, granting approvals to new airlines and permitting private airlines to operate on international routes. One of the most closed sectors of the Indian economy was suddenly opened up and it unleashed huge growth in both India’s GDP and higher tourism flows. This was also the time when young entrepreneurs launched travel portals. These changed the way Indians booked their travel. It is now projected that online channels would continue to outpace the total travel market and online penetration would be nearly one-fourth of the travel market by 2010. New products like medical tourism, value, cruise and rural tourism were conceptualised and implemented in partnership with the private sector and the community. The 2008 economic slowdown and terror attacks require another such response. The terror attacks were restricted to Mumbai. Other regions and states such as Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal and UP remain safe, calm and normal. Long haul markets still make for 95 per cent of India’s international traffic. There is a need to focus on China and Japan, which will emerge as the biggest source of tourists in the coming years. Kerala as a tourism destination was unheard of almost a decade back. Its emergence was largely on account of travel diversion from terror-prone Jammu & Kashmir. Kerala, of course, had developed new products like backwaters and Ayurveda, its entrepreneurs had created experiential boutique resorts and infrastructure had been spruced up. There is a need for new states to emerge as tourism destinations by enhancing the quality of experience and improving infrastructure. In fact, the next year should see focused attention on infrastructure deficiencies which have threatened to derail India’s aim to become a world-class global destination. The imbalance in demand and supply of hotel rooms and a near-total absence of the two- to four-star category of hotels have led to escalating prices thereby reducing India’s price competitiveness. India needs to create an additional 1,50,000 rooms in the next three years to penetrate large volume markets like China. Domestic tourism can help balance both the present adversity and the seasonality of inbound tourism. The strategy necessitates creating awareness among the rising Indian middle classes about new experiences (chasing the monsoons), new attractions (plantation holidays) as well as pilgrim circuits, heritage and monuments. To drive growth, we need to push five critical C’s: civic governance (improving the quality of tourism infrastructure),capacity building of service providers (taxi drivers, guides and immigration staff), communication strategy (constant innovation of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign and penetration in new markets), convergence of tourism with other sectors of the Indian economy, and civil aviation (continued opening of the skies, improved airport infrastructure and rationalisation of taxes). In the context of India, the vast potential of tourism as an employment creator and wealth distributor still remains untapped. The size of the tourism industry worldwide is $4.6 trillion whereas the software industry globally is a mere $500 billion. The tourism industry globally generates over 250 million jobs whereas the software industry generates only 20 million jobs. In India, in 2007, revenue from foreign tourists was $10.7 billion and 53 million people were employed in the tourism sector.As India grows and expands its base in travel and tourism, it will generate many more jobs and the sector will become a major catalyst for India’s growth with employment creation. In a globalised world it’s inevitable that people will travel abroad for medical treatment. India is well-placed to capitalise on this trend. It has world-class medical facilities and expertise in many areas, and treatment costs can start at about a tenth of comparable treatment in America or Britain. Even if one throws in airfare, it amounts to a good bargain. According to a McKinsey-CII study, medical tourism could generate as much as Rs 100 billion of revenue for India by 2012. The notion that catering to foreigners and rich Indians at expensive medical facilities is going to take away from health care for the poor is entirely mistaken. These are private facilities whose clients pay for their services, which doesn’t prevent the government from setting up a first-rate public health system that takes care of everybody. It’s wrong to look at medical care as a zero-sum game. If India makes a success of medical tourism that will build bigger capacities and draw more investment for the health sector. Indian doctors who routinely travel abroad to look for work will be tempted to stay back in India. Once the market signal goes out that there are more opportunities for doctors, nurses and trained medical personnel, more young people will opt for a career in these areas. A booming health-care sector would also spawn research and development in medical technologies, therapies and drugs in India. The advantage of having a large medical R&D establishment is not only that it would boost India’s competitive pharmaceutical industry, but also that it would spur research into diseases — such as tuberculosis and malaria — that afflicted Indians more. If India’s economy grows by an additional Rs 100 billion that generates a bigger tax base, giving the government enough leeway to raise more revenue and invest it in public health. The government shouldn’t look this gift horse in the mouth. Move from medical tourism to medicine It is absurd that a country that cannot provide basic health to most of its citizens should try to be a hub for medical tourism. Multi-speciality hospitals will cut into public health, unless the government lays deliberate emphasis on the latter. Doctors will be weaned away from specialising in ailments that concern the masses at large, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and gynaecological disorders, to concerns that affect a section of people, such as obesity, plastic surgery and so on. India’s growth story will mean very little, if it does not translate into improvement in life expectancy and control of killer diseases. For every 1,000 persons there is one hospital bed. Similarly, there is one doctor for nearly 1,700. This is all the more distressing, given the India’s health and morbidity indicators. TB claims 4,00,000 lives every year. Infant mortality and maternal mortality rates, at 54 per 1,000 live births and 301 for 1,00,000 live births, respectively, are higher than even developing country levels, while life expectancy remains a laggard at 63. With such a gross mismatch between demand and supply of health services, mass health care must be awarded top priority. Private hospitals should provide a certain minimum number of free beds. As a case before the Delhi high court on this issue argued, private hospitals are given land at below market rates, if not free of charge, and are therefore bound by social obligations. It is in large measure due to the shortage of government hospitals that health spending has become a major cause of indebtedness. Medical tourism will accentuate the shortage. Per capita state spending on health happens to be lowest in less developed states, where, in fact, the demand for health services is acute. Annual health spending of the Centre and states, at 1.39 per cent of gross domestic product, is abysmal. The Centre and states should raise health expenditure at least by three times to about Rs 1,70,000 crore per annum before they focus on medical tourism. Medical tourism or ‘Medical value tourism’? Top-class Indian doctors, a good mix of nursing, customer care services and treatment cost estimated to be one-sixth in developing countries as compared to developed countries, the Indian corporate hospitals are witnessing an emerging trend! If a by-pass surgery costs $40,000 - 50,000 in the U.S., few Indian hospitals such as the Krishna Heart and Super Specialty Institute in Ahmedabad have the wherewithal to do it in around 5,000 dollars. Similarly if a joint replacement surgery costs $30,000 in U.S., the same would be done by corporate hospitals in Ahmedabad at a roughly 6,500 dollars. India, especially Ahmedabad is the most touted healthcare destination for countries like South-East Asia, Middle East, U.K., U.S., Africa and Tanzania. And the most sought-after specialties are cardiology, joint replacement, gastroenterology, plastic, Urology Surgeries cosmetic and laparoscopic surgeries. “There are around 3.5 lakh people waiting for treatment under the National Health scheme of U.K. The lower level workers abroad are often not covered by insurance. Countries like Tanzania do not have good medical expertise and nursing care. All of this has led to Ahmedabad contributing greatly to the medical tourism pie in the country,” says Dr.Animish Choksi, Joint MD, at Krishna Heart Institute, Ahmedabad. Expanding into Cardiology, Orthopedic Surgery, Laparoscopic and Gastroenterology, Plastic Surgery, Prostate Cancer Surgery, Neuro Surgery, Urology Treatment the institute comprises of 15% - 20% of NRI occupancy every month. Low costs and prompt email communication convinced Gary Konkol to travel from Wisconsin to Ahmedabad for hip replacement therapy at Krishna. “A hip replacement surgery requires a lot of assurance for me to come to India and the treatment would have costed me six times more in U.S.,” says Konkol. More than costs, Konkol feels the efficient nursing standards of Indian hospitals are better than most of the U.S. hospitals. Hansaben Patani, who underwent a knee replacement surgery at Krishna from Tanzania, feels it was lack of good medical expertise that pushed her to come to India. Which explains, what more can be done for importance of accreditation in medical tourism? “Right from airport pick-up, to providing wheelchair to relieving the patient from anxiety regarding cleanliness, nursing care and transparency in business transactions, it is all about adding value to customer satisfaction. So it is more about ‘medical value tourism’ than medical tourism only,” Dr. Choksi concludes. |
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March 2019
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