VIJAYAWADA: “Medical tourism in the state will flourish only when the common man is included in it,” Dr V Brahma Reddy, Jana Vignana Vedika general secretary said, adding that medical tourism should not be viewed as something to be used only for revenue generation.
Speaking at a workshop conducted by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on ‘Medical tourism: Prospects in AP’ here Sunday, Dr Brahma Reddy said that it was important to develop quality medical education in the state. “Centres for excellence are what we require at the moment. We should first improve our medical care which is not within the reach of the common man. The purpose of medical tourism will be served only when it reaches the common man,” he said.
International marketing head of Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd. Benny Charles Daniel said that medical tourism could flourish in Andhra Pradesh if planned properly. “It is evolving in India, especially the surgical and reproductive tourism. Affordability, quality, anonymity, communication and travel options are some of the important reasons based on which a medical tourist chooses a destination,” he said. The marketing head also added that India had 12 lakh tourists in 2013, who came into the country for medical care.
“Medical care in India is about 20 per cent of that of the USA. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi are some of the states which attract medical tourists every year,” he added.