The medical tourism industry in India is all set to get a new boost with the country’s decision to offer the visa-on-arrival option to 180 more countries. And according to the Joint Secretary of the Eurasia Division of the Indian External Affairs Ministry, Ajay Bisaria, it would be the Russian who would stand to be one among the major beneficiaries of this decision.
At the recently concluded Eurasian Health Summit 2014 in New Delhi, Ajay Bisaria revealed that India’s development experience in the field of medicine over a span of 60 years would soon be shared in Eurasia. He also reiterated that the aim to promote medical tourism on a large scale in India would prompt the nation’s government to develop new medical diplomacies.
Russia happens to be one of the most important strategic partners of India. As such, India plans to develop and maintain a professional cooperation with several state as well as private medical organizations in Russia and throughout Eurasia. This would also involve setting up branches of influential Indian clinics in these areas.
The Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin, who attended the health summit, commented on how far India has grown since 1974 when there used to be only a single clinic that offered medical services akin to European services. He also praised the Medanta super specialty hospital in Gurgaon that had arranged the health summit, and also the best heart doctors in India.
Kadakin indicated that Russia would be more than willing to develop joint ventures and projects with established medical centers and services in Indian in order to boost medical tourism for both countries.
NareshTrehan, a renowned cardiovascular surgeon who practices at the Medanta hospital revealed that the hospital was well equipped to handle Russian patients. This includes having interpreters flown in from Russia to help the patients communicate with the doctors and aids can canteens dedicated to serving Russian food for patients and their relatives. Plans to set up a Russian language website for the hospital are also underway according to Trehan.
Ever since it opened in 2009, the Medanta super specialty hospital has treated over 61000 international patients, with 16% of them being from the Soviet Union. Trehanalso revealed that a patient who visited the hospital from Kaliningrad to get treated for kidney cancer was treated using the Da Vinci Robotic surgical system and is now enjoying a normal, working life.
Summary
India has announced Russia to be in the list of countries it would have offer visa-on-arrival. This move has been met with approval from both countries, which aim to boost medical tourism prospects for each other. Including Russia, India plans to expand its medical facilities throughout Eurasia. And existing medical facilities in India are gearing up for the influx of more Russian patients to their hospitals and clinics, taking extra measures to make them feel comfortable and at home.
