NEW DELHI: India’s booming medical tourism sector has been hit hard by the war in West Asia. Industry reports indicate that there is a decline between 30 and 40% in international patient visits and a similar fall in medical tourism-linked revenue across major medical hubs, such as the National Capital Region, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana.
Industry insiders say that in the last two weeks, the decline is growing rapidly with overseas patient inflow dropping by 50-75%. Some healthcare chains have reported a 75 % fall patients coming from West Asia.
“This means a 15-20 % decline in monthly revenue across the sector, with some facilities reporting around 35% dip. The medical tourism-linked revenue has declined by 30-40% in certain Delhi hospitals,” said Dr Abhay Sinha, director general of the Services Export Promotion Council, a body set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to facilitate global business opportunities for India’s services sector.
Concerned about the long-term impact of the ongoing war, many hospital chains are now seeking new markets. Industry insiders said hospitals are shifting their focus from West Asia, which accounts for 18-30% of international patient market, to regions such as South and Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Sri Lanka), Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, and Mauritius), and Central Asia.
Experts believe that West Asian patients have been most affected by flight cancellations and even when some sectors have opened up for air travel, airfare have risen by 15-25%, affecting the industry in India. Moreover, the impact has been felt in the elective-procedures segments, such as plastic surgery, geriatrics, orthopaedics, and fertility.
“Initial impact was minimal due to pre-booked patients, but new registrations have dropped sharply,” Sinha said.
However, south Indian centres have seen milder effect due to alternative air routes being available, Sinha added.
While Sinha has pointed to a larger trend, Fortis Healthcare has more drastic data to share. According to Anil Vinayak, its group chief operating officer, international patient inflow in its hospitals has completely halted. “If we compare the last 10 days of February with the first 10 days of March, the inflow of patients from the Middle East has dropped by 75%,” he said.
Vinayak is apprehensive about the situation improving soon. “The situation remains highly uncertain, and the next few weeks will be critical in determining whether conditions stabilise and international travel begins to normalise across the affected regions,” he said.
REGULAR CONSULTATION VISITS ALSO AFFECTED
The conflict has also put a stop to the visits of those who came for regular consultations. Dr Dharminder Nagar, managing director of Paras Health and co-chair of FICCI Healthcare Committee, said, “Patients who earlier travelled every 3–6 months for specialities like cardiology, oncology, transplants, and orthopaedics are currently unable to visit due to flight disruptions, visa delays, and travel uncertainty.”