While hospitals in Tiruchi are emerging as a preferred destination for medical tourism among Indian diaspora in the West and patients from neighbouring countries, more can be done to improve the current scenario, experts say.
There has been a general decline in medical tourism across India in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lack of adequate infrastructure such as hotels and ancillary services has kept potential patients away from healthcare hubs such as Tiruchi.
Patient queries from West Asia, Southeast Asia and SAARC countries have decreased in the past five years, Shibu Varkey, regional medical director, MaxiVision Super Speciality Eye Hospitals, told The Hindu.
“States like Kerala have developed medical tourism in a big way, which could be a reason. The absence of high-end accommodation and flights to Tiruchi, could also have led to the downturn. Besides affordability, patients look for local ambience when they plan their medical visits abroad. Tiruchi can evolve into a major healthcare hub if the travel, hospitality and healthcare sectors collaborate,” said Dr. Varkey.
“Medical tourism can be successful only if one can offer service that cannot be replicated elsewhere. For this, doctors need to keep working on the niche specialisations that are in demand throughout the world,” said T.N. Janakiraman, skull base surgeon, and managing director, Royal Pearl Hospital, Tiruchi.
