Can going to the grass roots help in meeting the challenges of universal health management and marketing in developing countries?

Abstract

In developing nations, state-of-the-art costly hospitals have sprung up on the complex health scenario, exploiting the international patient movement phenomenon, but have also created an imbalance, as the common man's hospitals have been totally ignored, making a huge loss to the local nationals and affecting the internal patient movement. The stupendous rising costs by these private medical tourism-based healthcare centres have shifted the equilibrium, as out-of-pocket expenses for the common people are more than 80%, leaving them helpless. What is required in connection with the launching of a successful medical tourism in these countries to attract international patients, is also to develop at par the small town and regional health facilities to symbiotically benefit the locals, the government and as well as foreigners. It is a well-established fact that expertise and experience of doctors will benefit the high-profile patients as well as the common man, if properly managed.