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India generated an income of USD 7,400 million through medical tourism over the last decade, and the figure is expected to rise to USD 43,500 million in the next 10 years, officials said. The health sector in India has seen many private investments in the past five years, they said on Wednesday at the Indian Chamber of Commerce-organised BIMSTEC Health Forum here. Among the issues discussed by the delegates were the inclusion of mental health under overall health, focus on universal health coverage, telemedicine, information sharing, human capital exchange and collaborative opportunities.
“Because BIMSTEC nations are sensitive to climate change, coordination between the commercial and public healthcare sectors, as well as the government, is required to effect good change while keeping the environment in mind,” an official said.
Medical tourism is a recognised export from two BIMSTEC members — India and Thailand.
As a key services sector, Medical Value Tourism is being supported by the healthcare sector and the government. Together the stakeholders are working towards accelerating engagement. The government is actively involved in working towards positioning India as the most favourable global destination for Medical Value Tourism. Taneja feels that initiatives like Heal in India are helping achieve the same and aid the sector in bouncing back.
A partnership with the Thai government has also been proposed to adopt ‘Swastha Sathi‘ facilities (West Bengal government’s healthcare scheme) and come up with a progressive plan in medical insurance, the officials said. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organisation that was established in 1997.
The region has a combined population of over 1.68 billion people and a GDP of around USD 2.88 trillion.
The BIMSTEC event is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). It was held across three splendid days of captivating conferences and exhibitions in the enchanting city of Kolkata.
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