Health Tourism in India is a developing concept whereby people from world over visit India for their medical and relaxation needs. Most common treatments are heart surgery, knee transplant, cosmetic surgery and dental care. The reason India is a favorable destination is because of it's infrastructure and technology in which is in par with those in USA, UK and Europe. India has some of the best hospitals and treatment centers in the world with the best facilities. Since it is also one of the most favorable tourist destinations in the world, Medication combines with tourism has come into effect, from which the concept of Medical Tourism is derived.

“India is promoting the "high-tech healing" of its private healthcare sector as a tourist attraction. The government hopes to encourage a budding trade in medical tourism, selling foreigners the idea of traveling to India for low-cost but world-class medical treatment.

Naresh Trehan, executive director of Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, a leading private healthcare provider, says India has established world-class expertise in practices such as cardiac care, cosmetic surgery, joint replacements and dentistry. Merging medical expertise and tourism became government policy when finance minister P.Chidambaram, in this year's budget, called for India to become a "global health destination".

For example, Madras Medical Mission, a Chennai-based hospital, successfully conducted a complex heart operation on an 87-year-old American patient at a reported cost of $8,000 (€7,000, £4,850) including the cost of his airfare and a month's stay in hospital. The patient claimed that a less complex operation in America had earlier cost him $40,000.”Financial Times (02/07/03)

Orissa is one of the most favorable tourist destinations in India. Medical treatment combines with tourism has come into effect, from which the concept of Medical Tourism is derived .Orissa offers a range of world quality Doctors, hospitals and treatments at a fraction of world costs with comparable success rates and service levels. The additional warmth and natural caring that comes with Orissa’s millennia heritage. Orissa’s hospitals are becoming known internationally for standards of health care delivery, comparable to the best in the world. Orissa has the technology and the skilled super specialists coupled with sound infrastructure and professional management, nurses and paramedical staff to take on international competition.

Housing almost all the modern medical amenities, in both rural and urban areas equally, Orissa offers a complete medical security in case of any emergency. The presence of well stocked hospitals and clinics at all the major tourist centers has facilitated a large number of people. Ayurvedic Rejuvenation Centers have also been opened up at many places.

To cater to the medical needs of both the sections of the society namely the poor and the rich efforts have been made to provide basic health services to each one. The medical facilities at the state include 158 Community Health Clinics, 157 Block Private Health Clinics, 1167 New PHC, 80 Mobile Health Units, 115 Area Hospitals and 5927 Sub centers along with 519 Ayurvedic, 462 Homeopathy and 9 Unani dispensaries. In total 32 District Hospitals, 21 Sub-divisional Hospitals and 10 Special Hospitals are functioning in the State.

In some of the districts, a mobile health care programme has also been started by the name of 'Smile on Wheels.' Under this programme, a doctor, a nurse and a technician is made available to the patients in a mobile van. This operation is useful to the people residing in marginal areas alienated from mainstream. In its initial phase. Other services covered under this programme include OPD - curative services (common ailments), ante-natal/post-natal services, minor surgery, dressing of wounds, BP examination, and identification of difficult pregnancy, referral for institutional care, immunization and basic pathological services. Important hospitals of Orissa