Kerala will receive at least 100,000 overseas patients by 2010, according to leading stakeholders of the state's medical tourism sector.
The state government and various leading hospitals are giving more thrust to this sector, and Kerala has already achieved an annual growth of 30-40 per cent in the inflow of patients from abroad. The number of patients who sought various treatments in Kerala, has increased to 15,000 in 2006.
According to a study by CII, the average spending of a medical tourist will be Rs 500,00. In order to augment the initiatives taken by leading private sector hospitals, the state government has declared 2007 as medical tourism year.
Philip Augustine, chairman, Kerala Health Tourism, said that by 2010, Kerala would enjoy at least 20 per cent market share of medical tourism in India, as the state was emerging as a major destination for health tourists across the globe.
Addressing a press conference here announcing Kerala Health Tourism Summit, 2007, he said the number of patients from the US, UK and other European nations had increased significantly during the last few years.
This was mainly because of the long wait needed for getting speciality treatment and the huge expenses for treatment in these countries. Most of the modern treatment facilities that can be availed in Kerala are cheaper by 40 -50 per cent, he said.
Patients from Russia and African countries, besides West Asia and Maldives, have also begun coming to Kerala recently, he said.
C Rajkrishnan said that there has been a tremendous increase in the number patients coming to Kerala for various dental treatment