The Hindu Business Line : Lotus Eye Care looks to raise medical tourism revenues

Mumbai, March 16 Coimbatore-based Lotus Eye Care Hospital’s percentage of overseas patients, who account for two to three per cent of the hospital’s total inbound patients, is expected to shoot up to 30 per cent in the next three years, Dr Selva K. Sundaramurthy, Chairman and Founder, told Business Line.

“Currently, two to three per cent of our patients come from countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Asia. More can come, but restraints in connectivity to cities like Coimbatore, where a lot of these hospitals are located, is limiting medical tourism,” he said.

The hospital currently earns a medical tourism revenue of Rs 8 crore from its four hospitals at Coimbatore, Salem and Tirupur, and expects it to rise by one-third once the airport infrastructure plus complementary health treatment centres develop.

“The Government of India has announced that it expects revenues of around Rs 8,000 crore by 2012 from medical tourism. We are in talks with many ophthalmologists across Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the African and European countries to refer patients to us. We need to tie up with somebody so the patient does not suffer from lack of post-operative treatment back in their countries,” he said.

Dr Sundaramurthy plans to establish more primary, secondary and tertiary Eye Care centres across India. They may go for an initial public offering to fund the expansions, he said.

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