1 hr ago

Goyal Unveils Five-Point Plan to Expand India's Medical Tourism

Piyush Goyal wants India to welcome more people from other countries for medical care.

He shared five ideas to make this easier and safer.

Caregivers should receive better training.

Hospitals should clearly explain their treatment prices and follow ethical rules.

Insurance companies and health-tech firms should make payments and appointments simpler.

Only trusted hospitals should treat international patients through the system.

India should also promote good hospitals in smaller cities and provide interpreters for foreign patients.

India has helped 3.5 million medical tourists in seven years and hopes to reach 10 million each year.

Key facts

Current reach: 3.5 million patients benefited from India’s medical value tourism ecosystem over the last seven years.
Annual target: India aims to serve 10 million medical value tourists each year.
Five-point focus: Workforce training, transparent hospitals, smoother insurance and technology services, verified facilities and state-level expansion.
Hospital standards: Hospitals treating international patients should be verified and panelled through the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers.
Geographic expansion: Medical value tourism should expand from metropolitan areas to tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
Cost advantage: Goyal said healthcare costs in India are 60–80 percent lower than in other parts of the world, particularly developed countries.
Patient equality: Goyal said Indian and foreign patients should receive the same high-quality healthcare.

thehansindia.com · 1 hr ago