India is all set to ease access for 44 countries, predominantly African and Latin American countries, to promote medical travel and establish itself in the global medical tourism market. Patients and their companions travelling from abroad will eventually have comparatively relaxed visa norms, considering their decision to pursue medical treatment in India.
The government aims to improve the country’s medical infrastructure for 17 cities – New Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Gurugram, Bangaluru, Amritsar, Kochi, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guntur, Alappuzha, Guwahati, Chennai, Chandigarh, Vellore and Hyderabad.
‘Heal In India’ Initiative
India plans to position itself as a ‘global hub’ for medical and wellness tourism and has collaborated with the Tourism, Ayush, Civil Aviation ministries, hospitals and other stakeholders. The health ministry aims to connect the patients from the identified 44 countries with the Indian medical system. This will significantly promote India’s stand as a global medical destination, thereby boosting medical tourism.
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One-Stop Portal Depicting Indian Medical Tourism
A portal is being developed where foreign patients can look through the services, standard packages and hospitals available for them to access. In addition, a unique user ID will be created for each foreign patient to track their journey and determine the services and treatment administered to them while being treated in India. The portal will also display all the systems of medicine included in the Indian health care facilities, including Ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and homoeopathy.
Highly Qualified Practitioners A Boon For India’s Medical Tourism Sector
Medical practitioners with high-quality medical training and fluency in English will only increase India’s potential and create an advantage in the medical tourism industry. In addition, officials believe that India’s healthcare facilities are much cheaper than many countries worldwide. Even today, foreign patients flock to India and get treated at a much lower price than in their home countries.
Patients with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and kidney ailments usually prefer to get their treatment done in India.
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