By Netpal Travel Bureau
India has been a medical tourism destination for more than a decade now, hence lot of people come to India every year for their treatment. Due to the advancement in Technologies and Genetic Sciences India has managed to manufacture its vaccination to defeat the pandemic instead of importing it from other countries.
In 2019, around 697,453 foreign tourists came for medical treatment in India.
Generally people came from Asian and African countries and a small number of people from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, flights were sharply cancelled between various Asian and African countries, this number saw a decline. But the total tourist inflow picked up gradually now. Indian medical tourism seeks progress in critical cases like organ transplants and other severe ailments.
According to Amit Sharma, Founder and CEO, eExpedise, India stands on 6th rank in the medical tourism industry, the quality of its medical services has projected its image immensely as a developed nation.
Situation has changed for good regarding medical tourism for India in the post-Covid era due to proper handling of the pandemic. In addition large number of health workers have received COVID-19 vaccines. Medical caregivers are safe and they will not be spreading the infection.
According to Prof. Ravi Mehrotra, CEO, ICMR-India Cancer Research Consortium, India can be the number one medical tourist destination soon as it offers all the complex transplant surgery at a very affordable price. It also has to offer a traditional Ayurvedic system of medicine which is effective in various chronic diseases.
“Recently around 21 patients from Myanmar and Burma were flown in on a chartered flight for either kidney or liver transplant at Apollo Hospital. This shows that gradually the number of people reaching India for treatment is increasing. But unfortunately not all people can afford chartered flights and hence the number is relatively small,” added Prof Mehrotra.
Rajeev Taneja, Founder and MD of Global Care said that India has a service-driven industry pattern and has everything to offer the patients need in the post-pandemic era.