Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Thursday, Aug 14, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Thursday, Aug 14, 2003 |
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Industry & Economy
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Tourism Bengal, ICC bid to promote medical tourism Our Bureau
Kolkata , Aug. 13 THE Government of West Bengal and the Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICC) are coming together to prepare a roadmap for making the state a healthcare outsourcing and medical tourism destination. Mr Surya Kanta Mishra, State Minister in-charge of Health and Family Welfare, said at a workshop on the role and opportunity for the private sector in healthcare, organised by the ICC here today, that his department was drawing up a plan for cooperation with the private sector. The Minister also said the Government was considering utilising part of the underutilised facilities in the private hospitals by the public healthcare delivery system. Mr Najib Arif, Secretary-General of the ICC, told Business Line that a campaign package is being drawn up by which the insurance companies and corporates will be involved to promote and develop the State's healthcare infrastructure as also interfacing with the Union Government agencies. "A linkage with the tourism infrastructure is also part of the grand plan," Mr Arif added. According to him, good marketing efforts could divert patients from African and the West Asian nations to West Bengal. The niche areas, according to ICC, are the specialised segments that are not covered by insurance in advanced countries such as cosmetic and plastic surgeries and other high-end lifestyle treatments. "To develop such specialisation private sector investments could be tapped, giving a boost to the concept of medical tourism." Already, patients from Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal come to Kolkata to avail themselves of the medical facilities. There is a need to make efforts to improve air and road connectivity between Kolkata and the neighbouring countries, more direct flights, Mr Arif mentioned. According to Mr M.K. Jalan, executive committee member of ICC, the recent developments in the medical healthcare system has seen increased private investments, lower cost of super speciality treatment and competitive quality in the State. Two leading private hospitals - the Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences and AMRI Apollo — have invested Rs 45 crore each for setting up trauma care centres, which will be ready by 2004. West Bengal is the recipient of one of the largest amounts of healthcare aid from donor agencies and foreign governments. It is set to receive an estimated Rs 15 billion over the next 10 years from Britain, Germany, the European commission and the World Health Organisation.
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