NEW DELHI: India’s rise as a medical tourism hub known for its advanced, affordable and trustworthy medical care offers valuable lessons for emerging African economies. Many African countries are looking to explore how India achieved global medical tourism success.
“Zimbabwe is keen to explore how India has achieved this,” stated Stella Nkomo, the Ambassador of Zimbabwe, during a panel discussion at ‘Beyond Borders: Medical Tourism Conclave 2026’. This high-impact international healthcare diplomacy initiative was organised by EventXpress—an initiative of The New Indian Express Group—in collaboration with The Medi Media People.
Dr Gaurang Krishna, co-founder and director at MedLinks, emphasised the importance of social media in establishing India as a global super specialty centre for medical tourism. “A decade ago, Dubai was a major centre for super specialty medical tourism, but now the influx of foreign patients seeking such care has increased significantly due to social media,” said Dr Krishna. Additionally, India’s improvements in air connectivity and the establishment of dedicated translation services have contributed to this growth.
Further, Dr Krishna highlighted the need for stronger government-to-government support in African countries to address critical healthcare gaps, such as the establishment of a ‘medical follow-up’ system. He also noted the challenges faced by Indian doctors in regularly visiting different countries due to varying licence requirements.
The African countries have also expressed concerns about challenges faced by their citizens visiting India for medical tourism. Among these issues are a lack of transparency in medical costs, visa-related complications regarding the duration of stay for follow-up appointments and the language barrier, as care is often provided in local languages rather than English.
Nevertheless, India remains the preferred destination for medical tourism globally, attracting around two million patients annually and generating an industry valued at $6 billion. The country offers world-class clinical outcomes at a fraction of the cost found in many developed markets, excelling in areas such as cardiology, oncology, transplants, orthopaedics, IVF and robotic surgery. India’s combination of affordability, accreditation, minimal waiting times, and superior clinical outcomes makes it an increasingly favourable choice for international patients. Furthermore, doctors from various countries are now travelling to India for training opportunities. South Korea and Türkiye are among the countries that compete with India in medical tourism.
Kanyi Folivi, Counsellor at the Togolese High Commission, acknowledged India’s efforts in simplifying patient visits by implementing online visa options.
Lalatiana Accouche, High Commissioner of Seychelles, also participated in the event.