With Karnataka being a major hub for medical tourism, with many overseas patients availing treatment in top hospitals, the Department of Health and Family Welfare is planning to write to the Ministry of External Affairs to relax visa rules for patients, and to grant visa-on-arrival to facilitate medical tourism in the State.
Karnataka had earned a reputation of providing affordable and quality healthcare services to foreign patients. If visa-on-arrival facility is available (for developing countries where specialised healthcare is costly) more patients could arrive for treatment, boosting medical tourism, said Minister for Health and Family Welfare U.T. Khader.
He was speaking at the Indo-US conference on emerging trends in healthcare here.
India has been a saviour for many overseas patients, who avail super-speciality healthcare here, he said.
Karnataka is one of the leading States in medical tourism.
If more countries get the opportunity of visa-on-arrival, it will boost medical tourism in the State, especially Bengaluru, he said.
Later in the evening, speaking to reporters, Mr. Khader said he would meet officials from the Ministry shortly and put forward the proposal.
