MC Explains | What an initiative like Heal in India can achieve    

Representative image: Reuters/Anushree Fadnavis

This Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to announce a major "Heal in India initiative", under which the government plans to take the medical tourism market, worth $6 billion in 2020, to $15 billion over the next four years. But how is India placed on the world tourism map and what all is it planning to be among the top draw for people with medical needs?

What’s the status of medical tourism in India now?

India is ranked 10th out of the top 46 countries in the Medical Tourism Index 2020-21 by the Medical Tourism Association. However, industry insiders like Ahmed Danish of Healthtrip, a leading company that facilitates treatment for patients in India, say India stands at number three or four in terms of drawing the maximum number of foreigners every year for medical reasons.

Experts say the country’s dominance in the global medical tourism market, with its world-class healthcare facilities and exceptional medical expertise and traditional hospitality, is well recognised.

India, for instance, has more than 36 hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International and over 600 hospitals accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers.

Industry insiders also say that time-tested healing practices such as Ayurveda have further augmented India’s market, offering international patients a great medical tourism and wellness experience. The Ayurveda industry in Kerala, mainly driven by foreigners, for example, is worth $2 billion.

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What does "Heal in India" hope to achieve?

A plan prepared by the Union health ministry on the initiative says the country has the potential to surpass all other nations and take the pole position as the medical value travel leader. The cost of treatment in India, for instance, is 50 percent of what it takes in Thailand and 20 percent when compared to Singapore.

Through the initiative, the government seeks to make India the number one choice for patients who wish to seek medical treatment outside their home countries.

Danish said that the scheme will further organise the sector and its ecosystem and will significantly enhance patient confidence for availing treatment in India as they will have many grievance redressal options with the government.

“Government to government tie-ups will drive more patients to the country,” he said.

From finding hospitals to certified facilitators, getting visa and forex options, assistance at airports and post-treatment telemedicine, patients will get quality service providers for each aspect, Danish said.

In AYUSH or the traditional stream of medicine, for example, patients will be able to discover and take services from certified centres with high-quality treatment, according to him.

Harsimarbir Singh, co-founder of health-tech platform Pristyn Care, said that the initiative is likely to ensure accessibility, affordability, transparency, and seamless clinical experience for international patients.

What are the components of the initiative?

There are about 70 countries from where patients come to India to seek treatment but the largest numbers are from 44 countries, which include SAARC nations, the Middle East and Africa. Patients from developed countries mostly come to India to seek wellness treatment, involving Ayurveda.

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Under the scheme, efforts will be launched to tap an even larger number of patients from countries from where maximum tourists arrive.

As part of the initiative, interpreters and special desks at 10 airports— Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Guwahati—and a multi-lingual portal and simplified visa norms are going to be put in place.

The portal will be launched specifically to guide medical tourists with details such as hospitals, details of treatment available and standardised rate cards. The health ministry has also identified nearly 40 hospitals across 12 states that will be offered assistance through the initiative.

In addition, the government is also looking to promote medical tourism in some government hospitals for the first time.

Government officials said that, currently, the fee for a medical visa is higher than the fee for a tourist or a business visa and requires more documentation.

“This discourages patients from applying for medical visas, and on many occasions, they travel on tourist visas but it makes medical treatment difficult for them—we want to change that,” the official said.

The Ministry of External Affairs is also considering opening missions in high potential African and Middle East countries while existing missions may run dedicated medical value travel desks, acting as a single stop for comprehensive information relating to partners, procedures, costs and visas.