Our country at number 5, 5 lakh foreigners come here every year for treatment; This year it was estimated to be 68,400 crores industry.

new Delhi. One of the sectors that have suffered from coronavirus - medical tourism. Before the arrival of Coronavirus, this year the market of medical tourism in the country was estimated to reach $ 9 billion i.e. 68 thousand 400 crore rupees. Whereas, in 2015 the same market was worth 3 billion dollars (22 thousand 800 crores rupees today). However, Corona eclipsed it.

These figures were given in a 2016 study of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry i.e. FICCI and IMS Health India. According to the same report, India's share in the world's medical tourism market was 18%, which was expected to rise to 20% by 2020. Not only this, we are at number 5 in the list of 41 countries in terms of medical tourism.

How many people come to India every year for treatment?

According to estimates, every year more than 10 million people go to other countries for the treatment of some kind of medical support. Every year, the number of patients coming to India for treatment from abroad is increasing.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism, in 2014 more than 1.39 lakh patients came to our country for treatment. Their number reached 6.40 lakh in 2018. That is, the number of people coming from abroad for treatment increased by more than 350% in 2018 as compared to 2014.

How much does India earn from medical tourism?

In February this year, when the Lok Sabha was asked to get the details of the income from foreigners coming to India for treatment, it came in response from the government that the central government does not keep its data. However, compared to 2014, there has been an increase of more than 70% in earnings from foreign tourists in 2019.

Even though the government does not have any details of the income from medical tourism, according to the Niti Aayog, a government policy think tank, a large part of the country's revenue from foreign tourists comes from medical tourism.

Most people come to India for treatment from Iraq

There are data on the Ministry of Tourism as of 2018. According to this, 68 thousand 462 tourists from Iraq came to India in 2018. Of these, more than 86% of Iraqis came to India for treatment. The second number is Yemen, from where 21 thousand 674 people came, of which about 55% of people came for treatment.

Why did India become the choice for treatment?

1. Cheap: Medical care and treatment costs in India are 50% lower than in developed countries like America, Europe. Not only this, there is a saving of 65 to 90% on treatment here compared to America.

2. Hospitals: There are 38 hospitals recognized by the Joint Commission International in India. Also, there are 619 hospitals accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers.

3. Doctors and Medical Staff: Not only the hospital, but we also have the highest number of doctors, surgeons, and medical staff in the South Asian country. We have more than 12 lakh allopathic doctors, 1.7 lakh dental surgeons, and over 20 lakh nurses.

4. Recovery: Recovery of patients coming to our country from abroad for treatment is also quick. After a major operation or surgery, the mortality rate here is around 1.4%. Whereas, in the US the same rate is 1.9%.

Most foreigners go to Maharashtra for treatment

In our country, patients coming from other countries go to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata for treatment. Every year 27% of the patients who visit India visit Maharashtra. 80% of these also go to Mumbai. After that 15% of Chennai and 7% of patients go to Kerala.