Country is fast emerging as the medical tourism hub of the world: Dr. Jitendra Singh

Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that the country is fast emerging as the medical tourism hub of the world. He said, more than 10 lakh medical visas were issued to foreigners between 2019 to 2022. Addressing an event in New Delhi today, the Minister said, the healthcare sector in the country is expected to grow to reach a size of 50 billion US dollars in the next three year.

He said, the global medical tourism market is estimated to be worth about 72 billion US dollars and the country’s share in medical tourism is expected to be around 10 billion dollars by the next year. He said, the country has almost 600 hospitals that provide world-class treatment in a cost-effective manner.

Highlighting the role of technology in the medical sector, Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that the world recognised the country’s leadership role during covid pandemic as it achieved the rare feat of delivering over 220 crore vaccinations through a fully digital platform-COWIN. He said, there are over four thousand healthtech startups in the country. He expressed hope that this ecosystem will grow further in the future.