New Delhi   

Free visits, yoga sessions for medical tourists during Games

NEW DELHI: The Centre is completely reshaping the security set up to provide fool-proof security for the Commonwealth Games in 2010 in view of the recent terror attacks. And these measures would also ensure that medical tourism has grown by at least 20 times by the time the international sporting event is held in Delhi, Secretary (Tourism) Sujit Banerjee said at the inauguration of the International Medical Tourism Summit here this week.

Mr. Banerjee also declared that medical tourists visiting India during the Games would be taken to niche tourism sites at government expense to promote India as a tourist destination. In addition, the foreign tourists would also be provided with free yoga exercise at various camps and would be motivated to undertake adventure and religious tourism at government expense.

The Tourism Secretary said upgraded and modified security plans are due to be chalked out jointly by the Home Secretary and top bureaucrats of all the Ministries relating to Commonwealth Games. Stating that the exercise would commence any day, he said not only would the stadia and other venues for the Games be adequately protected, the hospitality industry and various sites of historical importance would also be brought under a security net.

The Secretary also informed that tourism in general and medical tourism in particular had suffered negative growth in the month of November as against the same month in the previous year. But, he hoped that with new security arrangements, tourism would grow exponentially ahead of the Games.

Mr. Banerjee regretted that while India received a good number of patients for treatment from USA and UK, patients of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and even Pakistan choose to go to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia for availing of medical aid.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Environment issues to the fore
Teachers body’s silence on pay scale surprises many
Dalit convention held
NCB gets new Director General
AIIMS doctors demand better security system in campus
A craft extravaganza
Free visits, yoga sessions for medical tourists during Games
V.K. Malhotra elected Leader of Opposition
IGNOU to give fee concession
Police stand on remand upheld
Status quo on Vizhinjam bids ordered
Another gift from vintage Ruskin Bond
Baalu meets Pranab
‘Krishna tribunal tenure till February’
Some cheer for home loan takers?
Sheila, six Ministers take oath
“Need for change in lifestyle to tackle climate change”
Two children among five killed in accidents
Woman power
Cop, newspaper employee arrested for extortion
“Indian Memsahib” praised
MCD to extend biometric system
Low visibility delays some flights
“Government has failed to protect citizens”
Court notices on poor dialysis facilities
CPI(M) seeks CBI probe
Bill to hike cap on FDI in insurance sector likely
Oman for dismantling terror infrastructure
Jugnauth flays terrorism
Mayawati slams UPA Government
In the Capital Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu