CHENNAI: Lauding Tamil Nadu as the medical tourism destination of the country, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said the State was moving forward in every field. He was speaking after inaugurating MGM Healthcare Hospital, a 400-bed super-speciality hospital at Aminjikarai here.
Medical tourism is good in India, especially in Chennai. The city attracts a good number of international health tourists, proving that medical tourism is a fast-rising sector in India, he said.
“Patients from countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman and Maldives, are travelling to Chennai and other cities in India for surgeries and treatment. Doctors and patients ratio in Tamil Nadu is also above national average,” he said.
He also said that South Indian States have improved considerably in NITI Aayog’s “Healthy States, Progressive India” index 2019 report.
The Vice-President said according to WHO 2017 report, 61 per cent deaths in India were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). He appealed to doctors to dedicate time to prevent NCDs and to start with visiting government schools first to spread awareness about the diseases and also screen students.
“As a matter-of-fact, a national movement against the growing incident of NCDs needs to be launched. The Indian Medical Association must take the lead to promote awareness among the people, particularly school and college students, on the health hazards caused by sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy dietary habits,” he added.
Governor Banwarilal Purohit said, “Tamil Nadu has always been an important centre for medical diagnosis and treatment. The State ranks first in the country in terms of number of children immunised and takes pride in the thousands of eminent medical practitioners specialising in various fields of medicine. “Hence, it is no wonder that Tamil Nadu serves as hub for medical services in the eastern part of the globe. It is estimated by the Confederation of Indian Industry that every year about 15 lakh patients visit Tamil Nadu for medical diagnosis and treatment,” he added.
Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar also spoke. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar. MGM Healthcare Hospital Managing Director M K Rajagopalan and other senior officials participated.