The Hindu : National : Website to promote health tourism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 06, 2005

National

National

Website to promote health tourism

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministries of Tourism and Health and Family Welfare have decided to start a website and create a database to promote health tourism in India. Health tourism has enormous potential to create jobs and bring in foreign exchange. The website would be functional by December.

Talking to reporters after a meeting, Union Tourism and Health Ministers, Renuka Chaudhury and Anbumani Ramadoss, said the website would contain details about the facilities available in the country for healthcare and the costs involved.

After simplifying the clearance of medical visa, the Government is now working towards setting up a National Accreditation Health Board to accredit hospitals to ensure quality healthcare. "Hospitals are already getting patients from abroad and the Government is now trying to regulate this for maintaining international standards in our medical facilities,'' Dr. Ramadoss said. He also emphasised the need for promoting the Indian systems of medicine that has been accepted as an effective system of health care globally.

According to Ms. Chaudhury, the initiative would be taken up on pilot basis to begin with. She said that India as a highly-skilled destination in holistic healthcare was already receiving tourists for treatment, particularly for specialised care.

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