To understand and highlight the development of medical tourism in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday inaugurated a medical tourism convention in the state. The conference, the first of its kind in the southern state, saw the participation of 73 delegates from 21 countries including Africa and the Middle East.
Speaking to News18, Sandeep Nanduri IAS, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation said, “Tamil Nadu is at the forefront of medical tourism in India. Tamil Nadu accounts for 40 per cent of the international patients coming to India. Cities like Delhi and Mumbai also attract a large number of international patients. This conference will discuss how Tamil Nadu can prepare to take on them.”
“The conference will facilitate direct interaction of hospital administrators with foreign delegates from countries from where patients can potentially come to Tamil Nadu. Patients from Africa, Middle East countries, US and UK come to Tamil Nadu for some specialized medical services,” he said about the conference.
Highlighting the tremendous growth in the medical tourism industry in the state, B Chandramohan IAS, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments said that Tamil Nadu receives over 15 lakh annually for various services like cardiac treatment, orthopedic treatment, infertility procedures, cancer treatment. Patients come. ,
Regarding the affordability and cost of medical treatment in India, especially Tamil Nadu, where skilled medical staff is abundant, Jitu Jose, deputy head of the International Patients Division at Apollo Hospitals, says, “55% of the services required for international patients % is optional. surgery.
“Due to high costs in the US and long waiting times in Canada, patients are coming here. The same treatment is provided here at a lower cost. International patients visiting Apollo Hospitals have increased by 300 to 400% in the last ten years. There has been an increase. At present, 60,000 to 70,000 international patients are coming to Chennai’s Apollo Hospital every year. Ten years ago patients were coming to India from 25 to 50 countries. Now they are coming from 120 countries.
Tamil Nadu is a leader in the medical tourism sector in India with more than 40 percent of international patients availing medical services in the state.
Cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Vellore attract 1.5 million international patients annually.
Regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown on the medical tourism industry, Praveen Kumar Mital, Senior Director, FICCI said, “Even during the Corona pandemic, this sector with a growth rate of less than 5% is now growing . at 29.3%. ,
”Medical treatment in India is provided at a cost that is one-tenth of what is paid in the US and the UK. Although patients in these countries are covered under insurance plans, waiting times are longer. There is zero waiting time in India. This conference will give a boost to the sector, and help focus policies,” he said.
B Mukund, manager of Global Patient Connect at Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, said, “In 2016, 100 international patients per month were visiting our hospital. Now this number has doubled. Patients are coming not only from African countries but also from countries like Romania and Ukraine.
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