Ayurveda, regarded as the oldest system of medicine in the World, finds its roots in India. Many modern treatment methods and surgeries like rhinoplasty have taken inspiration from Vedic literature like Sushruta Samhita and Charak Samhita. India has always happened to have a rich history of health and medicine. Even today, it ranks 3rd among the top 10 wellness countries in the Asia-Pacific region. It’s gradually moving from medical tourism to medical value tourism (MVT). Health Biotech’s Director Parmjit Arora sees India becoming the first option for people around the globe seeking medical assistance. In addition to extending the richness of Indian hospitality, with the blending essence of its food, nature, and culture, medical value tourism from an Indian standpoint offers holistic health and well-being.
India has gained the position of providing high-quality medical services at an affordable cost to medical tourists traveling from across the World. It has become one of the reasons to attract people from across the globe to seek medical care and wellness. The nation’s cost competitiveness and availability of skilled labor make it a favorable medical tourism destination. It has the potential to grow faster than domestic revenues in the current year, given the large number of elective treatments in this segment and, thus, the likelihood of high demand.
Parmjit Arora’s Health Biotech has been a pioneer in taking the domestic pharma industry forward. Their commitment to manufacturing top-quality and affordable healthcare products sets them apart. Sh biotechharing his thoughts on India becoming the medical tourism hub, he said, “We have been manufacturing products for the domestic market as well as for African, CIS, Middle East, South American, South Asian markets, and many more. We look forward to India becoming the medical hub. Our pharma industry is no less than any country worldwide. We at Health Biotech consider it a privilege to help our nation in any way we can”.
The Ministry of Tourism has taken several initiatives to promote the medical tourism industry in India. Publicity materials such as brochures and CDs have been circulated in the target markets to promote medical and health tourism. The introduction of ‘Medical Visa’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs makes it easier for people traveling to India for medical purposes. In 2018, the government established a dedicated fund of US$ 641 million to enhance 12 Champion Services Sectors, with Medical Value Travel (MVT) as one of them. Launched in 2014, the e-tourist visa eases the visa regime which was subsequently expanded to include medical visits.
To become the number one medical travel destination, there is a need for investments in making the healthcare industry attractive for international patients. We can tap on the opportunity to sell Indian health insurance to foreigners as this can generate an additional $9 billion in patient inflow to India. The general pattern of choosing destinations witnessed among medical tourists arriving in the country are Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.
Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, believes that India can be made a brand in the medical tourism sector and for that it needs a system to obtain feedback and testimonials from tourists travelling to the country for medical purposes. “A ‘one-step’ portal is expected to be introduced that will add to the convenience and provide credible information for medical tourists coming to India. Additionally, the number of JCI-accredited hospitals is growing substantially. Critical factors such as trained medical professionals and doctors, fluency in English, availability of the latest medical technology and affordable medical treatment have helped India emerge as a hub for medical tourism. India has the potential to deliver a world-class experience and, indeed, invite the World to its Heal in India initiative,” he said.
India prides itself on highly qualified medical professionals and state-of-the-art equipment. The medical services are backed by the WHO. The inexpensive treatment options combined with good quality services compared to other global countries like the USA and the UK also help India emerge as a desired location. India’s pharma and healthcare industry has been a key contributor to the country’s economy and is expanding at an even bigger pace.
It’s all been possible due to efforts of both the public and private sectors. The national policies and the incentives provided by the government have played a vital role in providing the necessary thrust to the healthcare industry and have helped in creating a more inclusive healthcare system with the aim of achieving Universal Health Coverage in a structured manner.
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