Medical tourism brought in USD 7,400 million in India over the last decade, and that figure is likely to climb to USD 43,500 million in the next ten years, officials said on Wednesday. They noted at the Indian Chamber of Commerce-organised BIMSTEC Health Forum here that the health sector in India has seen a lot of private investment in the last five years.
The inclusion of mental health under overall health, an emphasis on universal health coverage, telemedicine, information sharing, human capital exchange, and collaboration opportunities were among the concerns raised by the delegates. Two BIMSTEC countries, India and Thailand, have designated medical tourism as an export.
A collaboration with the Thai government has also been proposed to adopt ‘Swastha Sathi’ facilities (the West Bengal government’s healthcare scheme) and develop a progressive medical insurance plan, according to officials. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a 1997 regional body. The region has a total population of more than 1.68 billion people and a GDP of over USD 2.88 trillion.
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