Regulatory Framework in Healthcare Delivery: A Study of the Kerala Medical Travel Industry

Abstract

Kerala has become a major international destination for healthcare.People.from the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC)countries, Middle-East countries and the developed world look up toKerala in their search of cheaper quality healthcare. There are many multispecialityhospitals and medicities with accreditations and trained andexperienced doctors. It can be observed that, in the last few years, billionsof rupees have been invested in the healthcare sector of Kerala. Hospitalsposition themselves as centres of international healthcare. However, thereis a regulatory vacuum in healthcare delivery and it has direct repercussionswhen it comes to international healthcare delivery. The absence of aregulatory framework leads to many unethical practices. This will force
international patients to switch to other international competitors. Thisarticle describes the various ethical and legal concerns of Kerala medicaltravel from the perspectives of hospitals and intermediaries. This articleevaluates the regulatory environment of Kerala and puts forward suggestionsto address the issues by the industry players including public sectorundertakings.