Fuelling Health Tourism

The health tourism sector in Kerala is preparing itself for a big leap to tap the potential in the segment by equipping itself with the latest development, said Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism, Kerala.

Inaugurating the International Conference and Exhibition on Health tourism, ‘Kerala Health Tourism 2007,’ organized jointly by Kerala Tourism and Confederation of Indian Industries, held recently at Hotel Le Meridien, Kochi, the Minister said that the Tourism Department and hospitals in the State together were implementing several projects for the next five years to raise the number of Medical Tourists reaching Kerala to one lakh per year.

The minister said that 15,000 as medical tourist reached kerala last year. He urged the hospitals dealing international patients to concentrate on Asian and African to improve business, instead of just going behind US and European markets. It is estimated that in the year 2012, India will have revenue of Rs. 4.500 crore in the health tourism sector. If Kerala is to have a share of this business, the health sector in the state should ensure high quality treatments and infrastructural facilities, he said and added that the Government had been supporting health tourism in state, considering it as a part of responsible tourism.
A.K. Mishra, Union Tourism Secretary, said the State has good potential for medical tourism as its quality human resource in the healthcare sector is known globally. He said the website of India Tourism - Incredible India will provide links to institutions providing quality healthcare in the State.

A taskforce formed by the Union Government on medical tourism will help promote institutions providing quality healthcare to tourists. Hospitals in the State should strive to gain global accreditation, especially in the US, UK and countries in the European Union, he said. Mishra also called on the healthcare sector to concentrate more on niche areas and aggressively market them abroad.

Cherian Philip, Chairman, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, said a part of the revenue generated through medical tourism should be utilized for treating economically backward people in the state. He said, the corporation, without any monitory motives, will do all things possible to accelerate the medical tourism sector in the state.

Navas Meeran, the outgoing chairman of CII-Kerala Chapter, said the second edition of Kerala Health Tourism Summit had received overwhelming response from within India and abroad. He said that 800 delegates participated in the three-day summit, which is double the number compared to last year. In the second edition of International Conference and Exhibition on health tourism, business delegates from the US, the UK, the UAE, Canada, Sri Lanka and several other countries took part.

V. Sriram of ICRA (International Credit Rating Agency) said, according to a study conducted recently on the potential of medical tourism in Kerala, the state receives around 10,000-12,000 foreign patients seeking modern medical care. He expressed the hope that the State’s health tourism market would grow at a rate of 10 to 12 per cent per annum.
The study commissioned by CII-Kerala also stressed the importance for developing linkages between ayurveda and modern systems of medicine to promote Kerala as a healthcare tourist destination.

As much as 80 stalls were set up at the exhibition hall by players in the medical tourism sector and related agencies. Medical tourism companies, Hospitals, insurance companies, dental hospitals, Ayurvedic resorts and hospitals, eye hospitals, travel agents, tour operators etc had their stalls. Discussions on various topics like role of international insurance companies, dental tourism, ayurveda etc on medical tourism were also held. ••