醫療觀光發展之探討：論印度經驗

An Analysis of Medical Tourism Development with Indian Experience

劉宜君(I-Chun Liu)

《中國行政評論》 16卷2期 (2008/06) Pp. 111-151

https://doi.org/10.6635/cpar.2008.16(2).04

摘要

醫療觀光是指在休假及享受當地的風光或人文特色的旅遊同時，還能獲得牙科、外科等治療及健康照護服務，其帶來的商機相當可觀，且在全球形成風潮。根據美國「醫療觀光完全手冊」預估，2010年全球醫療觀光產業的產值將達400億美元。以2007年為例，美國約有50萬人前往印度、泰國、新加坡等國家進行醫療觀光。近年醫療觀光產業在亞洲產生1.3億元的收入，且預期會有在2012年成長到美金4.4億元。惟醫療觀光雖然可以助於國內GDP的成長，繁榮觀光與醫療產業，但是也可能衝擊本國醫護人力與醫療資源的配置，影響本國醫療資源配置的公平性與效率。本研究從永續發展與永續醫療觀點，以印度醫療觀光的經驗分析醫療觀光對於永續觀光與永續醫療的影響。在研究方法上，本研究採用文獻研究法，就相關資料加以比較、分析。研究發現醫療觀光對於永續發展是多元面向的，從觀光收入、觀光資源能見度、當地觀光相關資源的整合等觀點，醫療觀光是利於永續觀光；但若從觀光客與當地居民互動、文化學習與居民參與而言，醫療觀光不利於觀光的永續發展。從醫療成本降低、醫療品質提昇、醫療人力資源提昇、醫療技術創新與流通等觀點，醫療觀光利於永續醫療發展；但從醫療資源公平性、醫療廢棄物處理、醫療系統的健全等觀點，醫療觀光不利於永續醫療發展。研究建議台灣政府積極推動醫療觀光的同時，必須從永續發展觀點思考，做妥適的規劃與管理，避免因為醫療觀光的推動造成國內不適當的醫療資源配置與不永續的觀光產業的發展。

關鍵字

印度 ； 永續發展 ； 永續觀光 ； 永續醫療 ； 醫療觀光

並列摘要

Medical tourism has attracted mass media for discussion. Such leave and enjoy the local scenery or humanistic characteristics of tourism at the same time, but also receive dental, surgical and other treatment and health care services, has already become a global trend, they bring considerable business opportunities. In the New Age of globalization, the lifestyle of human being is changing rapidly. Under the speedy development of international aviation technologies, industries with clear regional characteristics in the past have now developed service modes that break with tradition. ”Medical Tourism” has become one of these star industries that attract much attention because of its business opportunity worth several hundred billion US dollars. For many medical tourists, though, the real attraction is price.
Taiwan government also declares its determination to become the center of ”Medical Tourism” in the world and the best choice of cross-country medical care for international visitors. However, medical tourism industry can improve GDP growth, but may also have impact on their health care manpower and the allocation of medical resources, and the impact on the national health care fairness of the distribution of resources and efficiency. The paper utilizes literature review and comparative method to examine Indian experience of medical tourism development from the perspective of sustainable tourism and sustainable healthcare. With this purposes, the paper discusses concepts of medical tourism, sustainable tourism and sustainable healthcare. The study finds that medical tourism-oriented sustainable development is diverse. The study recommends that Taiwan government promotes actively medical tourism and must also think from the perspective of sustainable development, complete the proper planning and management in order to avoid domestic inappropriate allocation of medical resources and nonsustainable development of tourism industries.

並列關鍵字

Indian experience ； medical tourism ； sustainable development ； sustainable healthcare ； sustainable tourism