Bangladeshis are largest foreign takers of Indian health services: Report

[EastBengalPro]

One in three foreign patients in India is from Bangladesh, according to an Indian government report published recently.

Of the 460,000 inbound patients in Indian hospitals, more than 165,000 were from Bangladesh, which means one in three foreign patients was from Bangladesh.



They bought over $343 million worth of services, Indian newspaper Business Standard says quoting the Directorate-General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics.

More than 58,000 medical visas were issued in that period from Bangladesh which means many having other categories of visas took medical attention in India.

The government report shows that Bangladeshis were, in fact, the largest foreign user of their health services in 2015-16.

As the medical service sector is thriving on Bangladeshi patients, the Indian government has now extended the visa facilities for the diagnostic tests to attract more patients.

Bangladesh last year toppled the US as the origin of the highest number of foreign tourists, mostly due to medical tourism.

With the growing trend of people’s movement, both sides have also expanded the routes of travel.

A new bus service between Kolkata and Dhaka and a rail link between Kolkata and Khulna were inaugurated earlier on Apr 8 during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also responded to the request of Bangladesh to give medical visa also for diagnostic tests.

For India, medical tourism from nations with higher average health costs or poor infrastructure stood at $620 million in 2016-17.

After Bangladesh, the highest number of medical visas were allowed to Afghanistan (29,400), followed by Iraq (9139) and Nigeria (5994).

The highest average spending was by Pakistan. Each patient spent about $2,906. A total of 1,921 Pakistani nationals were issued medical visas, a mere 1.35 percent of all incoming patients.

However, with $111 million, the Unites States was the second after Bangladesh in the cumulative figure of spending for medical treatment.

The report also listed contract research and telemedicine as promising areas, while clinical trials were still a small market. Orthopaedics, cardiology and neurology were among the top draw for foreign patients.

India’s services exports rose to $155 billion in 2015 from $52 billion in 2005, with a share of 3.3 percent in global services exports.

In the first 11 months of 2016-17, services exports were at $146.5 billion, according to Business Standard.

Information technology and software services contribute over 48 percent to India's overall services exports.

bdnews24

 

[Michael Corleone]

because bangladeshis are "goddhob"

 

[Nilgiri]

Good. Let the reality check on BBS "statistics" continue for all to see.

We are supposed to believe such a country (that produces these many medical refugees for the most basic of things) when it says its citizens are supposed to live past 70 years old.

Yeah ok! @LA se Karachi @Major Sam

hey bought over $343 million worth of services

Cha-ching @Doyalbaba

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Cha-ching @Doyalbaba

Why so elated? Indian are very cheap.Doctors are no exception.Bangladeshi doctor's demand 700-800 Taka per visit.While cheap vegetarian Indian doctor can manage by 40-50 Rupees.So some Bangladeshi patients mainly from Khulna,Jessore region go to Kolkata or Chennai to take advantage of vegetarianism of Indian doctors.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

I'm sure a large number of them head to Dr. Devi Shetty's hospital (they're featured in this documentary too) . He has come a long way after this documentary was created several years ago.

 

[sbmc27]

Well, being a practicing medical professional here in BD, I am well aware of this situation.
Actually , medical tourism is flourishing all over the world and India is forerunner of this destination. India is miles ahead in some advanced medical services.
I myself sometimes referred pt to my respected teacher Prof. S. Rajasabhapathy in Ganga Hospital in Coimbatore, president of indian society of hand surgeons .
Bangladeshi pt are quite health conscious.
At the same time they can afford the extra bit of money now.

 

[Nilgiri]

Bangladeshi doctor's demand 700-800 Taka per visit.

Actually its because BD doctors are seen as untrustworthy quacks by BD population (I'm sure you deal with that perception firsthand hehe). Indian doctors earn way more on average than any BD doctor does overall.

A simple calculation if its 343 million dollars spent by 165,000 Bangladeshis....thats nearly 2100 USD they are spending per person for these trips.

So tell me what does "700 - 800 Taka" convert to in USD?

See its these simple math that make me think BD patients are very correct in not trusting BD doctors at all. Atrocious maths, probably leads to atrocious god knows what else. And the BBS life expectancy claims on top of all of this reality check is the cherry on top

So like I said your failure is our gain. Cha - ching!

We will take this 343 million dollars right out of Bangladesh economy to add to the large amounts we take each year elsewhere....without batting an eyelid. Who wants this money to circulate within and help BD instead? Not I. Extracting hard earned forex from BD people is what India should promote everywhere. Glad that SHW is on board with this, meekly nodding as Modi labels it pro-development for BD

 

[Michael Corleone]

Good. Let the reality check on BBS "statistics" continue for all to see.

We are supposed to believe such a country (that produces these many medical refugees for the most basic of things) when it says its citizens are supposed to live past 70 years old.

Yeah ok! @LA se Karachi @Major Sam



Cha-ching @Doyalbaba

It's actually because of delusional bengalis who think Indian doctors are better than Bangladeshi doctors and they go for a simple cold flu for ex.
The poor and middle class ofc has no choice but to visit Bangladeshi doctors....
Going to doctors got nothing to do with life expectancy.

 

[Bilal9]

I don't want to quote any psychopath.
The issue of life expectancy is determined by many factors, say infant mortality rate, under 5 mortality rate , maternal mortality rate etc.
You can Google any of the parameters , which was posted repeatedly by many respected Bangladeshi member. The standings of Bangladesh in almost every category is well over than many neighbouring countries.
I can explain one scenario, in case polio eradication programme , Bangladesh was polio eradicated many years before India can achieve half of the coverage. But BD couldn't declare itself polio eradicated, because some isolated / wild type case reported (2-3 cases) in the border area. You know polio is water borne disease and transmitted through water flow.
Last but not the least, any person/community/ country which does not have access to basic sanitation facilities ( read toilet) cannot expect better life expectancy.

Exactly.

The Indian naysayers keep coming to our section of the forum and keep trolling with unfounded comments.

They say that our govt. agencies (BBS) are liars and how can India's hygiene be in such a sad situation?

How can Bangladeshi people live longer than people in India?

It has to be lies, no?

I say protein deficiency is a very sad thing and it gives rise to delusions......

All one has to do is go to any large slum in any large city in India and see the dire hygiene conditions in there personally...we have all been to India via train and it is better left unsaid what happens in the morning trackside....

There is hardly any NGO in India to help these floating populations. Now I won't go all out and say that our slums are better than theirs. That is not the case. Slums are slums. The difference is that in India no one gives a rat's a$$ about poor people living in slums (or their hygiene).

Some of these bhakt psychopaths keep coming here harping on what a super duper medical technology tour-de-force and a land of milk and honey India is - and the sad thing is we have all been there and we have seen the real conditions in India. Conditions (medical technology or otherwise) in India are certainly no better than our country and in some cases (in the undeveloped Indian states) are much, much worse.

You can't wish away bad hygiene in Indian slums or do a 'Shwacch' campaign with street sweepers every third month with media fanfare and hope things will improve. You actually have to mobilize changes. We have done this, and we can help.

There is only one single over-riding reason Bangladeshi Medical tourists go to India and that is because medical services are cheaper over there. And with the devaluation of the rupee against the Taka more of us Bangladeshis can afford this cheaper medical care (everybody loves a bargain). That's it.

 

[Nilgiri]

Protein deficiency fact checked at:

http://foodsecurityindex.eiu.com/Country

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/paki...t-1971-genocide-pm.479414/page-7#post-9234356

As for valuation of Taka vs Rupee, lets fact check that too:

http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=INR&to=BDT&view=1Y

I'm really enjoying 2017 so far....lets see if BD medical refugees drop (in either volume or spending) because of it.

The inelasticity of their demand for basic medical services should be the clincher in the fact check regarding BBS hocus pocus. Raise your hand if any of you BD's understand what that means.

BTW anyone passing by can determine the quality/reputability of BBS or anything to do with the BD "govt" right here:

http://www.transparency.org/news/feature/corruption_perceptions_index_2016

Please check the level and if there has been any movement on it compared to the region since 2012 at your pleasure.

Always fun to fact check people that call Pakistani's like @LA se Karachi as false flagging sanghis.

 

[Michael Corleone]

Yeah sure hahaha. Guess we can agree plenty of BD's are indeed delusional.

I'm sorry but when your own people cannot trust your doctors to this level, your claimed life expectancy definitely is in big question too.

BBS claims one thing (and the WHO has written up papers on how extremely corrupt countries fake their mortality data but no one investigates it because no one really cares) but BD people voting with their feet is a complete dissonance. Only some of it is "attitude"....the rest is common sense.

so in this sense... india's life expectancy should be lower too as it too is rifled with corruption.

 

[Riyad]

Kolkata hospitals accept US dollar, Taka from Bangladesh patients
India Correspondent, bdnews24.com

Published: 2016-12-18 10:46:25.0 BdST Updated: 2016-12-18 15:31:09.0 BdST

• 
  
  Hundreds of Bangladeshi citizens, who come to India for medical treatment, have been adversely affected by India's sudden demonetisation of higher value currency notes. Photo: Indian Express

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Some Kolkata hospitals, which thrive on medical tourism from Bangladesh, have started accepting payments in US dollar and Bangladeshi Taka.

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• India withdraws 500, 1000 rupee notes
  
  
• India demonetisation hits Bangladeshi patients

This has come as a huge relief for patients from Bangladesh, who were hamstrung by India's demonetisation woes that caused a huge cash crunch for Indians and foreigners alike.

The cash withdrawal limit of 5,000 Indian rupees per week for foreign tourists was woefully inadequate for patients from Bangladesh.

"An MRI would cost us more than that," said Abdul Jabbar from Jessore at the RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS).

The RTIICS receives around 1,500 to 1,600 patients from Bangladesh every month, who were severely constrained by the cash crunch after Narendra Modi's Nov 8 'notebandi'.

"Now we have opened a foreign exchange counter which is taking both Bangladesh taka and US dollar," said R Venkatesh, zonal director (East) for Narayana Health, that runs RTIICS, a project of famous cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty.

Shetty is very popular with patients from Bangladesh.

"Now 12 to 13 percent of the payments by Bangladeshis here is made in dollar or taka . This could go up to 20 percent in January," Venkatesh told bdnews24.com.

"We have to be reasonable with our Bangladesh clients. Many of them are not comfortable with cards and e-wallets, so we are accepting Taka and dollar in cash," he said.

This new trend has boosted the foreign currency earnings of some Kolkata hospitals.

Relatives of patients rest in the premises of a hospital in Kolkata. Reuters file photo

Apollo Gleneagles Hospital said it has received around $ 75,000 in payments from Bangladesh patients in less than a month.

"Most Bangladeshis have paid in dollars, perhaps because they are not aware that taka is being accepted by us," said CEO Rupali Basu.

She said the hospital was expecting more payments in taka from now on, as the word seems to getting round that the Bangladesh currency is being accepted.

AMRI hospital, which accepts dollars, is planning to accept taka as well for patients from the neighbouring country.

"It would indeed help Bangladesh patients. They don't have to worry about converting to Indian rupees which has become so difficult," said CEO Rupak Barua.

Most hospitals have money changers who would convert taka into Indian rupees as well.

When the Indian cash crunch ease in the next few weeks, that conversion will also help those accompanying Bangladesh patients and are having to pay up in hotels.

"Hotels accept dollars anyway," said Anil Punjabi, chairperson of Travel Agents Federation of India.

Punjabi said that the foreign currency bonanza for the Kolkata hospitals is one of the unintended fallout of demonetisation.

"Medical tourists from Bangladesh are a substantial part of the foreign tourists coming to India. We have to ensure they are not inconvenienced."

http://bdnews24.com/neighbours/2016...ccept-us-dollar-taka-from-bangladesh-patients

 

[Nilgiri]

so in this sense... india's life expectancy should be lower too as it too is rifled with corruption.

There being a threshold in corruption over which data automatically gains credence (or very high credence) or if it is a continuous trend (and if so is it linear, exponential, decay etc) as corruption lessens is a matter of debate and another topic. Whats clear is there is a magnitude more dissonance in BD compared to the region overall from various unsettling reality checks (such as this medical refugee thing).

BAL shamelessly for example putting brochures earlier claiming education percentages that were proven false by UNESCO figures does not lend much hope to BD especially though.

People here have mooted all kinds of BAL interference into the BD military to get their way....this magically does not extend to other easier routes for propaganda such as the BBS?

You are only fundamentally good in basic numbers (that you produce) as your own institutional capability and reliability. BD main parties dont even agree on if their election commision can be trusted or not....and all kinds of courts cases have put the BD supreme court into question as kangaroo court by many quarters. Which to blindly believe, which to question?

 

[sbmc27]

Actually, India is doing excellent job , not in the field of medical sciences but also in every categories of fundamental sciences.
Bangladesh is also lagging behind fundamental sciences/ basic researches.
But we are closing the gap in basic sciences/research.
India is a huge country, I think we couldn't never match with India in advance sciences.

But , the question of life expectancy is not rocket science, here comes the issues of primary and secondary health care.
The present infrastructures , organogram as well as govt financial and policy support in health sector regarding primary and basic health services is excellent.

As you said, Indian policy support and monitoring in the root level is not up to mark. I have explained one scenario in case of polio. This is the case for filariasis and Kala-azar which is endemic in parts of south Asia.
You can Google filariasis and Kala-azar scenario of south Asia.

Exactly.

The Indian naysayers keep coming to our section of the forum and keep trolling with unfounded comments.

They say that our govt. agencies (BBS) are liars and how can India's hygiene be in such a sad situation?

How can Bangladeshi people live longer than people in India?

It has to be lies, no?

I say protein deficiency is a very sad thing and it gives rise to delusions......

All one has to do is go to any large slum in any large city in India and see the dire hygiene conditions in there personally...we have all been to India via train and it is better left unsaid what happens in the morning trackside....

There is hardly any NGO in India to help these floating populations. Now I won't go all out and say that our slums are better than theirs. That is not the case. Slums are slums. The difference is that in India no one gives a rat's a$$ about poor people living in slums (or their hygiene).

Some of these bhakt psychopaths keep coming here harping on what a super duper medical technology tour-de-force and a land of milk and honey India is - and the sad thing is we have all been there and we have seen the real conditions in India. Conditions (medical technology or otherwise) in India are certainly no better than our country and in some cases (in the undeveloped Indian states) are much, much worse.

You can't wish away bad hygiene in Indian slums or do a 'Shwacch' campaign with street sweepers every third month with media fanfare and hope things will improve. You actually have to mobilize changes. We have done this, and we can help.

There is only one single over-riding reason Bangladeshi Medical tourists go to India and that is because medical services are cheaper over there. And with the devaluation of the rupee against the Taka more of us Bangladeshis can afford this cheaper medical care (everybody loves a bargain). That's it.

 

[Russell]

I'll be joining the crowd in mid May

Taking the 2 year old niece who was diagnosed with Tubero Sclerosis in January this year

Christian Medical College & Hospital in Vellore - Dr. Maya Mary Thomas.

There really isn't a cure and the doctors here have done a great job - but, she needs to have an MRI and no hospital here was willing to do one (she suffers from severe Infantile seizures). But, the doctors in India said - they had experience...so, there you are.

Don't really care about the piss taking by folks on either side - and healthcare in India is very cheap for what it is.