India has generated an income of US$7,400 million through medical tourism in the last decade and the figure is expected to rise to US$43,500 million in the next 10 years, officials said on Wednesday.
The healthcare sector in India has seen a lot of private investment in the last five years, they said at the BIMSTEC Health Forum organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce here.
Among the topics discussed by delegates were the integration of mental health into overall health, focus on universal health coverage, telemedicine, information sharing, human capital exchange and collaboration opportunities.
Since BIMSTEC countries are sensitive to climate change, coordination between the commercial and public health sectors as well as the government is needed to bring about a good change while preserving the environment, the official said.
Medical tourism is a recognized export of two BIMSTEC members – India and Thailand
A partnership with the Thai government has also been proposed to adopt the Swastha Sathi (West Bengal Government Health Scheme) facility and come up with a progressive plan in the field of health insurance, officials said.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization that was established in 1997.
The region has a combined population of more than 1.68 billion and a GDP of around US$2.88 trillion.
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