Is medical tourism ethical?

Alot of people believe medical tourism is akin to jumping the queue. Most medical tourists come from developed countries like USA, Canada, UK and visit countries like Cuba, India, Singapore, Philippines etc. There seems to be a raging debate about whether a country like India can afford to take on more medical tourists and would this result in neglecting the poorer section of its population looking for healthcare.

Some forecasts say medical tourism in India will become a $2.3bn business for India by 2012. We all know the importance of Information technology in driving the Indian economy. But medical tourism is touted as the next force that will handsomely contribute to the country's growth. Most people in North America/Europe or for that matter anywhere in the world are no strangers to Indian medical professionals. Some Indian doctors are even categorised as the best in their area of speciality(even by their peers). This is what in effect gives India the edge as medical tourists are comfortable with the quality of training Indian doctors possess. Infrastructure however is something that remains a sore point for many. The Government of India or rather the health ministry has to take proactive steps to ensure that India can communicate it meets or supercedes benchmarks set for blood banks, surgical equipment etc.

But what goes up has to come down. Just when the medical tourism industry in India seems to be booming it is surrounded by controversy. To gain some insight into this controversy read this screaming headline.
Controversy rages in India over medical tourism

By Amelia Gentleman International Herald Tribune

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2005

For more details on medical tourism in USA, Canada, UK, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines visit:

Medical Tourism