In an industry which was dominated by more developed countries like Malaysia, Singapore and the United States of America, India is shifting gears for good and is making its presence felt, said Rita Teaotia, Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.
More than 70 countries and 600 buyers from Asia, UK, the US, Europe, Middle-East and even Africa will be a part of the third edition of ‘Advantage Healthcare India’ Summit, being held on October 12-14 in Bengaluru. India is being seen as a leading global healthcare destination, and the purpose of the summit is to promote the same idea and to streamline the healthcare services in the country simultaneously.
In the conference organized by FICCI, Rita Teaotia said that the changes in the healthcare framework that the government has brought in are the reasons for the success of the country as a healthcare destination.
“Last November, the Government of India brought in some changes in the visa regime which made it very easy for the foreign healthcare seekers to get visa and come to India to get affordable medical treatment,” Teaotia said. She also said that if anyone is facing problems regarding visa or in visiting India for healthcare, she will happy to rectify the issue and support them.
She also talked about the importance of the involvement of the domestic healthcare industry of the country and to examine and study the interventions that can boost the progress of the Indian healthcare sector internationally.
FICCI Secretary General, A Didar Singh, was also present and talked about the million-dollar opportunity that has presented itself. He said that to make sure that this USD 9 billion opportunity doesn’t slip out, India needs to create propositions for the foreign patients that are unsurpassed – focus on issues like clinical outcomes, accreditation of the hospitals, alternative medicine, affordability of the procedures, tourism practicality, and patient-centric approach will be important.
The purpose and design of the third edition of Advantage Healthcare India is to simply put forward the capabilities of India as a medical tourism destination and to create healthy relations with other nations to boost the current medical structure of the country.
According to a recent report released by FICCI, more than 5 lakh foreign patients visit India for medical treatments every year – the popularity of Indian healthcare around the world has made the country one of the primary medical tourism destinations in Asia.