India's healthcare sector has emerged as the largest in the service sector.Indians now spend over Rs 1,00,000 crore a year onhealthcare, and thesector contributes 6.2 percent to the GDP.The Government of India is stressing on the need to promote India as the newemerging medical value travel destination abroad. The private and publichospitals are to synergize their efforts and promote India as the Healthcaredestination worldwide.

The government has urged stakeholders including the doctors, hospitals,medical professionals, travel industry to take it as a mission. The healthcare industry will also have to standardize their processes and makeits functioning more transparent and accountable.

India's healthcare sector has emerged as the largest in the service sector.Indians now spend over Rs 1,00,000 crore a year on healthcare, and thesector contributes 6.2 percent to the GDP. Experts project that by 2012, itwill contribute 8 percent to the GDP and employ 9 million people. But one ofthe many challenges it faces is to provide good quality, affordablehealthcare to all.

The National Health Policy, framed in 2002, has the stated objective of"achieving acceptable standards of good health among general population". Inorder to achieve this, there is need to reduce inequalities, imbalances thatexist between regions, cities and villages and different socio-economicgroups.

This opportunity that is presented by the Indian tourism industry now standsto be further augmented by the medical value travel. India is becoming thepreferred destination for "Medical Value Travel".

The Indian systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Panchakarma,Rejuvenation Therapy etc. are among the most ancient systems of medicaltreatment, of the world. India has an international reputation of being aknowledge-based economy.

With the available talent base of over five lakh doctors and seven lakhnursing professionals, India can provide Medical and Health care ofinternational standard at comparatively low cost. These are well documented,with many surgical procedures being available at one-tenth the cost of thosein developed countries. Also there is no waiting period for elective surgery.