Public-private partnerships for inclusive development : role of private corporate sector in provision of healthcare services

Travelling abroad for medical treatment, also known as healthcare tourism is a growing phenomenon. Medical tourism is a provision of cost effective private medical care by corporate hospitals such as Apollo and Fortis, in partnership with the government, medical and the tourism industry to foreign patients needing elective, diagnostic, cosmetic surgery and alternative therapies who are travelling to India in search of value. The Minister of Finance, in the 10th 2003-2007 budget speech, called for India to become a world class “Global Health Destination” and attracting foreign direct investment as a pathway for economic development. Thus on one hand, India is providing first world quality of medical treatment to foreign patients and on the other hand, is struggling to provide equitable access to primary healthcare and infrastructure for millions living in poverty. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the sustainable and inclusive (pro-poor) development of healthcare services by the private corporate sector, in public-private partnership (PPP) with the government.