The Globalization of Health Care

Case Analysis-The Globalization of Health Care

Health care can be defined as one of the least exposed to dislocation from globalization. Like many service providers, health care is delivered where it is purchased. Some of the historical concerns were as such; if an American goes to MRI scan, won’t the scan be done by a local radiologist? Won’t the surgery be done in a local hospital? Up until recent, this was true, but now the world has entered to the arena of volatile changes with globalization.

For an example; The United States has a shortage of doctors who specialize in reading and interpreting diagnostic medical images, X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans and Ultrasound. They are called “Radiologists”. The demand for radiologists is doubled up than the rate at which radiologists graduate with qualifications. Therefore radiologists have become expensive nowadays. An American radiologist approximately earns about $ 350,000 while an Indian radiologist earns one tenth of that. Dr. Sanjay Saini, and Indian radiologist suggested better cost effective way to deal with the shortage, that is to view images over the Internet.

India is well known for medical treatments. In 2004, Howard Staab, a Carpenter from North Carolina, got his heart surgery done in India with a happy visit to Taj Mahal after the surgery in India. It saved him about $ 50,000 in India compared to getting the surgery done in the United States. India has rapidly growing visits of Foreigners for medical treatment.

Another example would be; Robert Beeney from San Francisco got his hip-joint replaced at a branch of Apollo hospitals in India. Apollo Hospitals boasts about providing health care facilities similar to the United States. Between year 2001-2004, Apollo has treated 43,000 foreigners from nations in Southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf. In 2004, 7% of its revenue was generated from Foreigner visitors seeking health care facilities.