The disparities in healthcare facilities across the country strike out amongst other development-related indicators in Nepal. Recent years have witnessed the growth of healthcare facilities, especially in the bigger metropolitans of the country. In addition to the growing prospect of the healthcare industry catering to domestic demand, medical tourism looks promising as the number of quality healthcare service providers increases in the country.
Common procedures such as LASIK (US$800) and cataract surgery (US$20-25) are of the highest quality, costing 10-20 times less than developed countries, even India. As such, the country entertains a large number of travelers seeking eye treatments, especially from neighboring Indian states (over 1 million per year). Eye lenses and prosthetics manufactured in the country have an average pricing of US$3 compared to US$150-300 in Europe and the United States and have been exported to over 50 countries. These factors position the country as an attractive destination for eye-related treatments. Efforts from public and private sectors to better organize these services will increase the likelihood of foreign patient influx in the country.
The cost of dental procedures in the country is highly attractive and offers good value considering the quality of services offered. Average prices of dental services range from US$5-2,000, depending on the complexity of procedures. Although localized to a few cities, there are 12 dental colleges and multiple hospitals and clinics that meet international standards. The country’s dental health infrastructure is relatively good and includes about 2,000 registered dentists. For foreign individuals that have to bear out-of-pocket expenditure for dental services in their respective countries, Nepal can be a favorable destination for economic, high-quality dental services.
This sector includes disease treatment and prevention via natural methods: yoga, meditation, physiotherapy, herbal spas, etc. Given Nepal’s geographic richness, this sector is gaining prominence. The government's current healthcare policy prioritizes alternative treatment methods and has allocated approximately US$1 million to establish Bidushi Yogmaya Ayurvedic University and facilitate ayurvedic medicine R&D, production and education. The global wellness tourism market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 10% over the next few years and, therefore, Nepal should look to capture some share of the market. Following the 2015 earthquake, the number of tourist arrivals has increased rapidly, with India and China being the top two sources with over 100,000 annual visitors.
Read more: Transformational Health