IMTA recommends streamlining of Medical Visa norms to further boost medical tourism to India
"M Visa - Medical Visa" Indian government's pioneering initiative to encourage growth of medical value travel to India was introduced in 2005, but in the last five years very few overseas patients have chosen to apply for Medical Visas as the scheme has inherent flaws that actually hassle the foreign patients who avail of it.
Tweet-- "M Visa - Medical Visa" Indian government's pioneering initiative to encourage growth of medical value travel to India was introduced in 2005, but in the last five years very few overseas patients have chosen to apply for Medical Visas as the scheme has inherent flaws that actually hassle the foreign patients who avail of it.
Majority of foreigners coming to India for medical treatments have been applying for a tourist visa and not opting for M visa, because Medical Visa norms make it mandatory for them to register with FRRO office within 14 days of the arrival in India. This is an avoidable inconvenience imposed by M Visa, particularly in view of the fact that the patients may not be able to leave the hospital once their treatment starts to go and register at the FRRO.
The patients who come on M Visa have to seek the Indian hospital's help to go FRRO office and comply with the procedures and this puts avoidable strain on the hospital's resources. Therefore the hospitals have been often advising the potential patients not to apply for M visa and opt for Tourist Visa only. But this has defeated the very purpose and the good intentions with which the Government of India introduced the Medical Visa scheme.
The volume of foreign patient arrivals at Indian hospitals is growing at a healthy pace of over 40 percent every year and medical tourism is indeed the next billion dollar opportunity after IT outsourcing for India to benefit from its fast expanding private healthcare infrastructure. Indian doctors and professionals are world renowned for their skills and the country has abundance of all the inputs like talented young manpower, local high quality manufacturing base for pharmaceuticals, technology hardware and software that makes the Indian costs for high end surgical procedures so attractive.
"IMTA has apprised the concerned ministries of the Indian Government of the issues with Medical Visa and we have requested them to modify the norms to make it an enabler for the growth of Medical Value Travel to India. An early action to address the issues with Medical Visa would surely enhance the volume of international patients coming to India, it will also help to track the numbers of medical tourists arrival to India more accurately. " Says Pradeep Thukral, Executive Director, Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA)
Notes to Editor
About Indian Medical Travel Association.
A non profit body aimed at preparing India for facing the challenges of global competition in Medical Tourism space and actualise the tremendous opportunity for India to become a leading global healthcare destination. IMTA's membership has a diverse base of India's leading JCI, NABH accredited hospitals, Indian System of Medicine and Wellness service providers, travel industry, Insurance, Assistance and Medical Tourism facilitation companies.