Date:12/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/12/12/stories/2005121200091300.htm

Back Move to boost medical tourism in Kerala

Sankar Radhakrishnan

Thiruvananthapuram , Dec. 11

KERALA Tourism is working on an initiative to give a boost to medical tourism in the State.

According to Mr B. Suman, Director of the State's Department of Tourism,the availability of high-quality healthcare infrastructure at reasonable prices makes Kerala an ideal destination for medical tourism.

Even things like ordinary medical check-ups cost less in Kerala than they do in Europe, he added. Therefore, medical tourism has tremendous potential in Kerala, he pointed out.

Kerala Tourism is working on a marketing campaign to promote the State as a medical tourism destination. On the anvil are promotional events in Sri Lanka, Maldives, Europe and in countries in West Asia, he said.

The tourism department is also working on creating partnerships between hospitals in Kerala and insurance companies in Europe, especially in the UK, he added.

Meanwhile, the Indian Healthcare Federation is working with the Confederation of Indian Industry to develop a classification and accreditation system for hospitals, Mr Suman explained. Hospitals in Kerala that desire to operate in the medical tourism segment will have to be classified under this system before they can be marketed abroad, he added.

In keeping with its strategy of turning Kerala into a year-round destination, Kerala Tourism is giving a big push to `monsoon tourism', Mr Suman said.

The department is promoting this concept in the `Gulf' countries and also in North India, he pointed out. On the cards are new initiatives to promote `monsoon tourism', he added.