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Development Versus Risk in Medical Tourism: An Assessment

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Medical Tourism in Kolkata, Eastern India

Part of the book series: Global Perspectives on Health Geography ((GPHG))

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Abstract

A growing interest is witnessed in the recent years in mapping the experiences of medical tourists, destination profile and role of facilitators in medical tourism literature. However, discussion on those who service the medical tourism industry outside hospital premises at a micro level and whose lives are touched and reshaped by medical tourists, is not included in the existing literature. This chapter is designed to illustrate the potential impact of medical tourism. A local case study is developed and an evaluation made on the contribution of the medical tourism as a potential tool for the economic development of a local area. However, in the context of high promotion of success rate of medical tourism, it is imperative to assess how patients respond upon their arrival to home. In this context of an infant medical tourism industry of Kolkata, an endeavour is made to map risks concerning post-treatment issues of medical tourists, a critical perception of local patients on the medical infrastructure of the city and medical tourist arrivals and emerging issues of organ transplantation or transplant tourism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, School of Science, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Anu Rai

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  1. Anu Rai
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Rai, A. (2019). Development Versus Risk in Medical Tourism: An Assessment. In: Medical Tourism in Kolkata, Eastern India. Global Perspectives on Health Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73272-5_7

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