NEW DELHI, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Foreigners visiting India on medical visa registered a growth of nearly 16 percent during the year 2017 as compared to the previous year, said Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons.
While in 2016, a total of 427,014 foreigners visited India, it rose to 495,056 during 2017, Alphons told the parliament.
He said that medical tourism holds immense potential for India, and that the Indian systems of medicines like Ayurveda, Yoga, Panchakarma, Rejuvenation Therapy, etc., are among the most ancient systems of medical treatment in the world.
India can provide medical and health care of international standards at low costs, and excels in the state of the art medical facilities, reputed health care professionals, quality nursing facilities and traditional healthcare therapies, said the minister.
According to him, over the years, the Indian government has taken various steps to promote medical tourism in the country, like the launch of campaigns in the international markets, including medical tourism.
He said the e-tourist visa regime had been expanded to include medical visits as well. Medical and medical attendant visa has been introduced to ease the travel process of medical tourists. The maximum duration of stay in India under the e-medical visa is a longer duration of six months.
