HYDERABAD: On the lines of T-Hub, the state government is planning to launch Medical Tourism Hub (MT-Hub) soon to increase the arrival of medical tourists.
The first preparatory meeting for the launch of MT-Hub will be held in Hyderabad with industry representatives in the first week of February.
“We will hold the first meeting in the first week of February and finalise the modalities for the MT-Hub,” tourism secretary B Venkatesham told Express on Friday.
According to Venkatesham, around 10,000 foreigners come to Hyderabad for medical treatment every year. “We are planning to increase this number to one lakh per year in the next five years,” he said.
The plan is that the proposed MT-Hub will coordinate with related industries enabling the smooth stay of foreigners in Hyderabad. For example, a patient who underwent an operation needs post operative treatment like injection of fluids, physiotherapy and others. But they cannot stay in hospital for these simple treatments. The MT-Hub will provide post operative care, besides giving publicity for treatments available in Hyderabad.
“Some health insurance companies in other countries were referring their patients to Hyderabad, as the medical expenditure in the country is cheaper than that of other countries,” Venkatesham said.
As of now, patients from African and South East Asian countries are coming to Hyderabad for joint replacements and cancer treatments. Even eye care was cheaper in Hyderabad compare with the prices in US. The tourism department is contemplating using sports tower in Gachibowli, which was lying idle until now. The tower was built in 2007 for the World Military Games. The 13-storeyed tower has 468 rooms and medical tourists could be accommodated there.
India is now ranked fifth for medical tourism and Hyderabad also stands fifth in the country for the same. The estimation is that each patient would spend `10 lakh on medical treatment including air fare.