Text: FWD Media     Photos: Jinson Abraham

Kochi is a state that goes beyond tourism, it’s now advanced and has become a destination for medical services.

Kochi is always capable of springing up surprises and stories that are away from the ordinary. If you are the curious kind, who wants to get to the bottom of everything before you move on, you discover facts about the city that could elude the others. One such truth dawned on us as we had a conversation with a wheel chair confined Arab man. Having met him at a large departmental stores, where he was on a trip to get provisions accompanied by his brother, we got into candid chat. This cherubic man in his early forties was apparently in Kochi to be treated for a heart ailment, but that had not dulled his happygo- lucky attitude towards life. As we chatted away, he told us about being recommended to travel to Kochi by a cousin, who had made a trip earlier recommended by another cousin. In fact, there were no less than twenty people in Ramiz’s inner circle who had travelled to Kochi to avail medical help for various kind of treatment. Here we try to bring out the story of health tourism in this land right from Ayurveda to super-specialty surgery, and why it is a win-win situation for both the tourists and hosts.

The land of Ayurveda

Kerala is the traditional home of Ayurveda. Growing under the patronage of dynasties one after the other, this science of ancient medicine has been sought after since time immemorial.  n almost unbroken lineage of Vaidyas has passed on the knowledge of various herbs and treatment procedures. Today, this land remains the only place where Ayurveda is a mainstream school of medicine. Opposed to an alternative, all the protocols and procedures used in Ayurveda present day has revolved around Kerala.

Kochi is a home to crops of ayurvedic spas, wellness centers tending to tourists from all over the country and beyond. Maintaining absolute authenticity in treatment, these places also give a great feel to the essence of Kerala. The peculiar geographical location, lusty backwaters, a large number of beaches, serene hillocks, moderate climate throughout the year and highly literate populace also have contributed towards making Kochi a preferred destination for tourists from other parts of the world seeking medical treatment.

Kizhi to Cosmetic surgery
The health tourism sector in Kerala is poised to reach a staggering $4 billion by 2017. If you thought, all of that dough comes out of foreigners who fancy exotic oil massages; you went a wee bit wrong there. An equal number of medical tourists also visit India for expensive surgical procedures and other non-invasive medical procedures.

Now, why would people from the other parts of the world want to travel to Kochi to get a surgical procedure? One, Kochi boasts some of the best health facilities comparable to the best in the world and off course, the expense incurred is largely low. Consider this, a coronary artery bypass surgeries would cost USD 30,000 in Kochi compared to USD 300,000 anywhere in the US, a mitral valve surgery in USA would cost $200,000, while he could travel to Kochi and receive the same treatment for $6700. All this explains why the city has seen such a windfall in the number of medical tourists and also India being the third most preferred destination for medical tourists. The slogan: “First world treatment at third world prices” stands in good stead. Apart from the cost factor, there is also the added advantage of no waiting time at all unlike in the countries that they reside.
The fifth edition of the Kerala Health Tourism would be hosted by Kochi. The main agenda of KHT 2015 is to develop the state as a medical tourism ub in the country by 2020 and to leverage the position that Kochi has already managed for itself.

Making hay when the sun shines

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.”
As Kochi goes from being a mere port city in your geography textbook to a multi-faceted, vibrant megacity with a plethora of industries that churns out every product and service that
the human mind can fathom. There is an immense scope for everyone who endeavors to be a part of this revolution. Well, the sun is shining brightly now, and it seems like it’s going to do so for a lot many years to come. Well, if you can be a part of the tourism revolution in the state, you should. But how dry would you want your hay to be?