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India’s Medical Tourism
Context: India’s medical tourism sector experiences a significant boost as a result of the rising number of visitors from Bangladesh seeking various specialised treatments.
More on News:
- In 2023, medical tourists from Bangladesh to India surged by 48% to reach 449,570, up from 304,067 in 2022.
- This growth sharply contrasts with lower numbers from neighbouring countries like Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Myanmar.
Medical tourism
- It involves travel and accommodation of foreign tourists staying at least one night in a destination for medical treatments aimed at maintaining, improving, or restoring health.
- It encompasses three categories:
- Curative treatments like cardiac surgery and organ transplants;
- Wellness and Rejuvenation such as cosmetic surgery and stress relief;
- Access to traditional medicines like India’s AYUSH systems.
- It also reflects patients’ healthcare-seeking behavior and the broader economic impact of travel on host nations.
Medical Tourism in the country:
- India ranks 10th in the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) for 2020-2021 out of 46 destinations in the world by the Medical Tourism Association.
- India is a top destination for medical value travel due to high scores in various quality of care factors.
- A favoured destination for Yoga and Wellness with a focus on traditional therapies (AYUSH).
- Weaknesses of Indian Medical Tourism:
- Lack of government regulations for medical tourism.
- India has still not been promoted as a medical value travel destination by the government.
- The medical value travel facilitators have an important role, but they are not well organised.
- Unavailability of Medical Insurance Portability and non-coverage of traditional medicine systems under insurance policies at the international level.
- There is a perception about India not being a very hygienic country, impacting the choice of India as a medical tourism destination.
E-medical Visa Initiative:
Launched by India, aimed to further facilitate medical tourism from Bangladesh.
- Visa Issuance Challenges and Patient Preferences:
- Sri Lankan medical visas declined 11.7% year-on-year to 1,432 in 2023-24
- Myanmar’s medical visas saw a modest increase of 4% amid heightened scrutiny post-illegal kidney transplant allegations
- Patients from Pakistan and Afghanistan face visa restrictions due to political and security concerns.
Steps Taken to Promote Medical Tourism:
- National Strategy and Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism identified the following key pillars for developing medical value travel:
- Branding India as a wellness destination while strengthening the medical and wellness tourism ecosystem.
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- Digitising with an Online Medical Value Travel (MVT) Portal and enhancing accessibility.
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- Promoting wellness tourism and establishing governance and institutional frameworks
- The government announced $14.8 billion in loans to boost infrastructure.
- Major companies like Apollo, MAX, Fortis Hospitals, and Manipal Group are investing in tier-II and tier-III cities.
- National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) is accredited by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua).
- This enhances medical tourism in India by providing international recognition to NABH-accredited hospitals.
- Ministry of Tourism revised Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme maximising benefits for stakeholders, including Medical Tourist Service Providers.