Bengaluru to host global summit on medical tourism in October

The delegates from over 70 countries will be participating in the third edition of ‘Advantage Healthcare India’ summit to be held on Oct 12-14, 2017, in Bengaluru and aimed at promoting healthcare services exports from India

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The launch of the mega event was officially announced at an event graced by Mrs Rita Teaotia, Secretary, Dept. of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Mr Sudhanshu Pandey, Joint Secretary, Dept. of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry; Dr A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, and other dignitaries.

New Delhi: The Advantage Healthcare India 2017, the third international summit on medical value travel (medical tourism) jointly organized by FICCI, Dept. of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India, and Service Export Promotion Council (SEPC), will be held at Bengaluru from October 12-14, 2017.

The launch of the mega event was officially announced at an event held in New Delhi recently.

As per the press note released by the organizers, the Advantage Healthcare India 2017 is meant to promote India as a premier global healthcare destination and enable streamlined healthcare services exports. Over 70 countries and 600 hosted buyers from Africa, Middle East, Europe, US, UK, and Asia (including SAARC) would participate at the event, with thousands of international and national business visitors.

Medical value travel (MVT) has emerged as one of the fastest growing segments of Indian tourism industry. According to a FICCI-IMS report, over 500,000 foreign patients seek treatment in India each year, making the country a key medical tourism destination in Asia.

Speaking on the occasion, Rita Teaotia, Secretary, Dept. of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India, said: “This event has grown phenomenally in terms of quality of participation, debate and discussion and providing inputs to the Government, which have helped form policy. The Government has identified medical tourism as a major services exports sector. India has begun to make its presence felt in the medical value space by offering the strong proposition of world-class care at affordable prices. It has emerged as a one-stop-shop for all aspects of healthcare and wellness, from world-class hospitals and medical research to Ayurveda, Yoga and quality pharmaceuticals. In November of last year, we introduced a very liberal visa regime for medical tourists. We have also set up a comprehensive healthcare portal to guide foreign patients who want to come to India for treatment.”

Dr A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, said: “Medical value travel can be a USD 9 billion opportunity for India by 2020. To fully exploit this potential, the country needs to diversify its sources of medical tourism and create a strong value proposition for foreign patients by focusing on perimeters like cost effectiveness, alternate medicine, clinical outcomes, tourism friendliness, accreditation, and patient centricity. Advantage Healthcare India 2017 will bring Indian healthcare providers and global healthcare stakeholders under one roof. It will showcase India’s medical capabilities and create opportunities for healthcare collaboration between India and other nations to boost healthcare services exports. The last two summits have been a great success, and I look forward to the 2017 event being a great facilitator and enabler of Indian medical tourism.”

Medical value travel (MVT) has emerged as one of the fastest growing segments of Indian tourism industry. According to a FICCI-IMS report, over 500,000 foreign patients seek treatment in India each year, making the country a key medical tourism destination in Asia. However, coordinated efforts are required by key stakeholders to turn India into “The Provider to the World” and accelerate MVT growth from the existing 15% to 25%. Foreign patients mostly come to India for heart surgery, knee transplant, cosmetic surgery and dental care, as the cost of treatment here is considered the lowest in Asia, much lower than Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Advantage Healthcare India 2017, spread across three days, will have more than 40 speakers, 600 hosted buyers and over 5,000 business visitors. The exhibition will host more than 160 exhibitors to showcase medical services and expertise. Thousands of reverse buyer-seller meetings will offer opportunities for tie-ups with Indian hospitals and healthcare centers for medical tourism.

A Roundtable Session with Health Ministers from select countries will be organized to discuss issues about medical value travel and formulate the way forward. They will also visit the Exhibition. In addition, the event will showcase India’s medical devices sector to encourage foreign companies to start manufacturing locally with Indian partners. Internationally renowned Indian doctors and AYUSH experts will deliver lectures on various topics.

A key highlight of the event will be Medical Value Travel Awards 2017 which will recognize and showcase innovations that have helped promote India as a premier medical travel destination.

Participants at Advantage Healthcare India 2017 would include international hospitals, government organizations, insurance firms, medical tourism organizations, global medical associations, medical journalists, doctors, and investors.

Supporting partners of Advantage Healthcare India 2017 include EEPC India and Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India(Pharmexcil).