The Hindu Business Line : CII initiative to promote health tourism in Kerala

Mega meet
As many as 600 participants are expected from international medical insurance companies, third party administrators, hospitals, travel and tour operators, embassies and trade offices.

Kochi , March 6

The Confederation of Indian Industry in partnership with the State Government, which has declared 2006-07 as Medical Tourism Year in Kerala, is organising Kerala Health Tourism 2006, a focussed event to promote health tourism in the State.

The programme will be held during March 23-26 here at Hotel Le Meridien and it consists of an international conference on health tourism, exhibition and cultural evenings.

Addressing presspersons, Mr M.K. Koshy, Chairman, CII, Kerala, said that the event would highlight emerging opportunities and challenges in the Indian health tourism arena, discuss preparedness of Indian hospitals etc. It would be a congregation of major hospitals, health insurance companies, policy makers and international institutions for promotion of health tourism, he said.

Worldwide, health tourism is a booming industry and with the ease of travel across continents, it has become more and more regular feature in the health plans of people to seek advanced medical treatment outside their own countries. Kerala is particularly well suited to host medical tourists since it is recognised for its healthcare standards by world bodies such as WHO and is currently going through a boom in private medical services, he said.

As many as 600 participants are expected from international medical insurance companies, third party administrators, hospitals, travel and tour operators, medical tourism promotion boards, embassies and trade offices.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Philip Augustine, Chairman, Kerala Health Tourism, said that health tourism has become the major source of income after information technology in India especially in Kerala. Individual efforts are on from various private hospitals to project the State as a perfect destination for health tourism. The Government has also taken steps for a total upgradation of medical care in the State considering this potential, he said.

He pointed out that the Indian medical healthcare has made rapid strides over the past decade both domestically and in the global market. According to a study by the CII and McKinsey, medical tourism in India could become a $ 2.3 billion business by 2012. The major advantages of the medical tourism industry in the country are its cost effectiveness and competency along with the attractions of tourism, he added.

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