Lok Sabha Question No. 5726 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-02
Subject: Formation of Committee for Medical Tourism
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: REKHA ARUN VERMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†5726

## LOK SABHA ANSWERED ON 02.04.2018

## FORMATION OF COMMITTEE FOR MEDICAL TOURISM

## †5726. SHRIMATI REKHA VERMA:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  medical  tourists  are  reportedly  facing  a  lot  of problems  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along with  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  streamline  the process of medical tourism in the country;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  formed  a  Committee  or  Sub committee to solve the problems of medical tourism and if so, the details thereof and the details of the issues raised by the Committee along with the details of the ups and downs in the performance in the sector during the last three years; and
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  a  mechanism  to  monitor  the number of people who come to India as medical tourists and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI K.J. ALPHONS)

- (a): The Ministry of Tourism has recognized Medical and Wellness Tourism as Niche Tourism Products and offers various facilities as given below to promote India as a preferred destination as well as facilitate the visit of medical tourists to the country:
- (i) The Ministry offers financial support as Marketing Development Assistance for Publicity and for organising Wellness and Medical Tourism Promotion shows as well as workshops/events/seminars to accredited Medical and Wellness  Tourism  Service  Providers  and  Chambers  of Commerce, etc.
- (ii) A film on Medical Tourism has been produced in association  with  BBC  and  is  used  at  various  fora  for promotional purposes.
- (iii)   Medical and Medical attendant visa has been introduced to  streamline  and  ease  the  travel  process  of  Medical Tourists. The e-tourist visa regime has also been expanded to include medical visits as well.
- (iv) It has been decided to set up facilitation counters at the major airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru for tourists arriving on Medical Visas.

Apart  from  the  above,  the  Department  of  Commerce  and Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) has launched a Healthcare Portal www.indiahealthcaretourism.com in English, Arabic, Russian and French languages as a single source platform providing  comprehensive  information  to  medical  travellers  on  the top healthcare institutions in the country.

- (b) & (c): A National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board has also been constituted under the Chairmanship of the Hon'ble Minister for Tourism  to  provide  a  dedicated  institutional  framework  to  take forward  the  cause  of  promotion  of  Medical  and  Wellness  Tourism including  Ayurveda  and  any  other  format  of  Indian  system  of medicine covered by Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH). The Board has members from the Ministries of  Health,  Commerce,  External  Affairs,  AYUSH,  Home  Affairs,  the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH)  as  well  as  representatives  from  the  major  chambers  of commerce,  Hospitals  and  independent  experts  in  the  field  of Medicine  and  Wellness.  It  works  as  an  umbrella  organization  to promote this segment of tourism in an organized manner. The Board has formed  sub-committees  on  visa  issues, accreditation  and standards  and  marketing  and  promotion.    The  Ministry  of  Tourism collates data regarding the arrivals on Medical and Medical Attendant visas provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Following are  the  foreign  tourist  arrivals  in  India  for  medical  purpose  during 2014 to 2016:

|   Year | Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs)   |
|--------|-----------------------------------|
|   2014 | 1,84,298                          |
|   2015 | 2,33,918                          |
|   2016 | 4,27,014                          |

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