India Earns $7.4 Billion from Medical Tourism in the Last Decade, Expects $43.5 Billion in Next 10 Years: Officials

According to officials, India has generated approximately $7.4 billion in revenue through medical tourism in the past decade. This figure is projected to reach $43.5 billion over the next ten years.

The health sector in India has experienced significant private investments in the last five years, as highlighted during the BIMSTEC Health Forum organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

The forum addressed various topics, including the integration of mental health into overall healthcare, emphasis on universal health coverage, telemedicine, information sharing, exchange of human capital, and collaborative opportunities.

Given the BIMSTEC nations’ concern for climate change, the officials stressed the importance of coordination between the commercial and public healthcare sectors, as well as the government, to implement positive changes while considering environmental factors.

Medical tourism is recognized as an export for two BIMSTEC members, India and Thailand. Additionally, there have been discussions about partnering with the Thai government to adopt West Bengal government’s healthcare scheme, ‘Swastha Sathi,’ and develop a progressive medical insurance plan.

BIMSTEC, established in 1997, is a regional organization comprising a combined population of over 1.68 billion people and a GDP of around $2.88 trillion.