Health city may be developed in Gujarat
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Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has called for developing a multi-specialty health city to be developed at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The new area will be based on the public-private partnership model to capitalise on the medical tourism potential of the state and bring it on the international tourism map.
The proposal by ASSOCHAM envisages various super-specialty hospitals for patients seeking international-standard medical treatment by highly-trained healthcare professionals at an affordable price. The concept also calls for establishment of several hospitals and clinics including research and rehabilitation centres, pharmaceutical clinics and spas with furnished apartments, villas and star-rated hotels including shopping malls and complexes.
“This move will not only help Gujarat secure a bigger share in India’s lucurative medical tourism industry but also encourage reverse brain drain by attracting non-resident Indian doctors, experts settled abroad to participate in this venture,” Bhagyesh Soneji, Chairperson of ASSOCHAM Gujarat Council told the Business Standard.
The Indian medical tourism industry is currently worth around US$891.53 million (INR4,500 crore), but this is likely to rise to US$2139 million by 2015, according to a recently-released ASSOCHAM study on ‘Emerging Trends In Domestic Medical Tourism Sector’. The study also found that the inflow of medical tourists in India is growing at an annual rate of 40% and is likely to cross 32 lakh visitors by 2015 from the current level of 8.5 lakh. States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal and New Delhi are fast emerging as India’s best medical centres with several hospitals and specialty clinics coming up in and around their cities in the past few years.
According to the proposal, the state government may rope in various embassies, high commissions to enlist the support of health ministries in foreign countries to promote medical tourism. Besides, the state government should provide financial and fiscal incentives to the healthcare industry capable of creating large number of jobs.
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