Medical tourism

Medical tourism has huge potential in India. Under the Ministry of Commerce, the State Tourism Promotion Council (STPC) conducts the Medical Tourism Conclave every year, in at least 4 or 5 places in India, inviting Indian hospitals, suppliers, and approved agents from all over the world to participate. India has a lot of experienced medical professionals and support staff like nurses and paramedical. India can be a medical tourism hub. Today, Singapore and Thailand are known for that. India has so many hospitals accredited by national boards as well as international boards. Around 10-15 years back, people were going from here to London or the US for treatment. However today, people from the entire Middle East, African and European countries come to India. And they will continue to come, as the way we handled our foreign tourists who were stranded in India during the lockdown and sent them back home safely has created a lot of goodwill for us. The Ministry of Commerce and MoHFW shall join hands to promote medical value travel to India at a higher level, along with hospitals and other bodies, which will be India’s strength. supported the need for a board since a decade. “I first touched upon it about 15 years ago when I read my father, Inder Sharma’s

– EM Najeeb

could facilitate infrastructure for creating hotels and tourism products. Another strong recommendation was the creation of a

both domestic and international, and opens the right doors. It is headed by someone who doesn’t come from the Government, is fairly empowered, has regular audience with the powers that be, and has a set of professionals working with him.”

Agreeing with Meenakshi Sharma, he adds, “The problem is that we don’t know what constitutes the industry and how big