The concept of ‘Medical Tourism’ has been in existence since ages. It has been recorded that
Greek pilgrims travelled long distances and from all the corners of Greece to the sanctuary of healing
gods to get blessed and healed by the holy water baths, there are many more such examples from various
parts of the ancient as well as newer world. In short medical tourism is about patients visiting different
places for needful or elective medical treatments.
In the view of economical benefits foreigners travel from far in search of low-cost treatment
options provided by equally competent medical experts practicing in state-of-the-art hospitals. In the
recent times the spectrum of ‘Medical Tourism’ has gained importance in developing countries like our
own, India. Medical services are already one-step ahead in expansion in India particularly in Maharashtra
cities like Mumbai and Pune have become global health destinations. Concept of medical tourism can be
defined as ‘provision of cost-effective medical care in collaboration with tourism industry for patients
needing specialized treatment options.’