Is medical tourism development in Bangalore ethical?

I was reading an article in Wired, titled "India's Silicon Valley is dying of thirst and a growing 'water mafia' is calling the shots" that stated,

"Bangalore has a problem: It is running out of water , fast. Cities all over the world, from those in Europe and the American west to nearly every major Indian metropolis, have been struggling with drought and water deficits in recent years. But Bangalore is an extreme case. Last summer, a professor from the Indian Institute of Science declared that the city will be unlivable by 2020."

The next paragraph said "Every year since 2012, Bangalore has been hit by drought; last year Karnataka, of which Bangalore is the capital, received its lowest rainfall level in four decades. But the changing climate is not exclusively to blame for Bangalore's water problems. The city's growth, hustled along by its tech sector, made it ripe for crisis. Bangalore's population nearly doubled from 5.7 million in 2001 to 10.5 million today. By 2020, more than two million IT workers are expected to live here."

The reason for my question that is the title of this article is simple if you know anything about resources necessary to run and manage hospitals:

To operate a hospital (anywhere) requires 300 gallons of fresh pipe-borne water, per bed - per day.

The article went on to explain: "Through the 2000s, Bangalore's urban landscape expanded so quickly that the city had no time to extend its subcutaneous network of water pipes into fast-growing areas such as Whitefield. Layers of concrete and Tarmac crept out across the city, stopping water from seeping into the ground. Bangalore, once famous for its hundreds of lakes, now has only 81. The rest have been filled and paved over. Of the 81 remaining, more than half are contaminated with sewage."

With this explanation in mind, let's revisit my definition for what medical tourism is:

“Health tourism is an experiential product that offers an unforgettable visitor experience. It is produced by combining carefully coordinated travel to a destination, an opportunity to enjoy the hospitality of its people, its culture and its history, the rest and rejuvenation of its accommodations, the unique flavors and recipes of local and regional gastronomy, and the precision and compassion its health services providers working collaboratively. Together, they produce the elements to create a unique visitor experience and story-telling value that will be shared for generations.”

• How unforgettable will a destination be with a drought and more than 40 lakes polluted with sewage be?
• How is that not a health hazard for the visitor?
• How much water is required per day to support a medical tourism visitor and his/her companion(s) travelers?
• Is it ethical to market and advertise to attract more visitors to India in this situation? (And no, India is not alone in this dilemma, many medical tourism program initiatives are being developed and launched in areas where water

Being in the business of medical tourism, I am an avid reader of articles that keep me up to date about travel, tourism, destination development, and economic development. But I also consider myself "concerned" for the environment, urban and regional planning, and the built environment. That's because the projects I accept as a consultant often touch on the nine pillars of medical tourism destination development. I meet with officials from each of the government agencies listed below when I plan a strategy for medical tourism economic development:

Tourism can provide an incredible economic boost through jobs creation, tax collection on profits, taxes on purchases made by people with jobs created by the medical tourism industry. But some destinations argue that tourism can harm the environment and negatively impact local populations. When that happens, or is at risk to happen, is it ethical to build medical tourism at that place?

Some recently launched destinations attempting to build their economy with medical, dental, rehab and wellness tourism are among several destinations around the world that have proposed—or implemented —measures restricting the annual number of visitors. Among them are many medical tourism contenders recently launched, including:

• Greece / Santorini
• Norway
• Italy / Venice, Cinque Terre
• Thailand / Koh Tachai, Koh Khai Nok, Koh Khai Nui, and Koh Khai Nai, all of which are off the coast of Phuket
• USA/ Utah's Zion National Park
• Spain / Barcelona
• Bhutan
• Iceland
• Galápagos Islands
• Peru / Machu Picchu - a UNESCO endangered site
• Lord Howe Island
• The Seychelles, where a number of Indian investors have recently opened private hospitals specifically aimed at medical tourism business development
• Nepal

So that makes me wonder: Have maverick investors and private healthcare facilities, physicians and other stakeholders launched a medical tourism program at these destinations without the cooperation and support of the government?

Or have they gone to market without a strategy other than to "get on the internet with a website and rent a stand at a medical tourism conference and negotiate agency relationships with facilitators and referral agents with the intention to invite the world to partake?"

If that's the case, how long before it fails?

Without the support of the nine pillars from the public sector and government authority support, health and wellness tourism destination development designed around my medical tourism destination experience definition as defined above will never really thrive. That's because health and wellness tourism cannot thrive in a silo. And it cannot thrive without water.

Your thoughts?

About Maria Todd

Chief Executive Officer at Mercury Healthcare International, Inc.

Clients dramatically improve their medical tourism operations, business growth, and profitability after working with Maria Todd. They realize increases in their reimbursement, volumes of new patients, and global brand awareness and appeal.

Her unique skill set comes from over 35 years of experience at all six seats at the table, clinical, administrative, insurance contracting, travel and tourism, marketing and branding, and health law paralegal work. She intertwines these skills in a way that no other consultant can offer because most usually only offer one of these expertise and have to call upon others - each with their own fees and expenses to comprise the other five. She solves problems for clients and shortens time and reduces expenses associated with hiring a consultant. This is an additional value added benefit of working with her.

Maria adds value to every project she accepts. If she doesn't believe she can add value, she turns the project down. In reality, the demand for her time is so high that she cannot accept every project she is invited to. After more than 35 years helping clients succeed, her time is scarce. She is often booked to start new projects or present keynote addresses and workshops as much as 18 months in advance. She loves watching her clients' successes and watching them grow and thrive. She is also brutally honest with clients which they tend to appreciate when working with her. She is direct. She pulls no punches and doesn't sugar coat bad news or constructive criticisms.

Reach out to her to at +1 (800) 727.4160 (office international land line) or by email. Maria accepts most invitations to connect with her on LinkedIn and at her professional Facebook page. Maria prefers direct email to her @mercuryadvisorygroup.comaddress or through LinkedIn for all contacts via email.