India Medical Tourism: Pakistanis Spend the Most Per Patient

[RiazHaq]

http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/08/india-medical-tourism-pakistanis-spend.html

As Indian medical visas granted to Pakistani patients regularly make headlines in India, it is hard not to conclude that it's all part of a PR campaign by the Hindu Nationalist Modi government in India.


What is often left out of the media stories is the minor detail that Pakistanis pay more to use services of for-profit Indian hospitals than do people of other nationalities for such "humanitarian gestures".

Pakistan is an important and lucrative source of medical tourism dollars in India. The kind of facilities Pakistanis pay to use in India are not accessible to poor Indian masses who must rely on India's decrepit public health system.

A 2017 report by Indian ministry of commerce and industry says an average Pakistani spends Rs 187,000 on treatment in India. Those from Bangladesh spend Rs 134,000 on an average, followed by those from Commonwealth countries (Rs 125,000), Russia (Rs 104,000) and Iraq (Rs 98,554).

Times of India quoted Manish Chandra of Vaidam medical travel agency as saying: "This is because Pakistani patients mostly come for organ transplants and heart surgeries for children that are costly." In 2015-16, he said, nearly 166 Pakistanis received treatment in India every month. Top Delhi hospitals, which are frequented by foreign nationals, confirmed this.

Most of the Pakistani patients suffering from liver and heart ailments go to major for-profit hospitals in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and other cities, according to TOI. The number of Pakistani patients, however, has seen a sharp drop since February this year when the Indian government decided to stop granting medical visas to retaliate after Pakistan handed out a death sentence to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. In other words, humanitarian concerns take a back seat to Modi government's policies to assert India's dominance in the region.

The Times of India sums it up the situation as follows: India's imposition of restrictions on the issue of medical visas to Pakistanis has not just affected hundreds of patients from across the border but also dealt a body blow to medical tourism in India.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Is India Safe for Medical Tourism?

Indians Carry Heavy Disease Burdens

India Leads the World in Open Defecation

WHO Says India Leads the World in TB Cases

Infectious Diseases Kill Millions in South Asia
http://www.riazhaq.com/2010/10/dengue-malaria-and-other-infectious.html
Infectious Diseases Cause Low IQ

Malnutrition Challenge in India and Pakistan
http://www.riazhaq.com/2010/03/malnutrition-challenge-in-india.html
Hunger: India's Growth Story

Google Baby Boom in India

WHO Report on Medical Tourism in India




http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/08/india-medical-tourism-pakistanis-spend.html

 

[ranjeet]

"This is because Pakistani patients mostly come for organ transplants and heart surgeries for children that are costly."

This explains why Pakistani patients spend more in India. I hope Pakistanis can find better and economical treatments in China, Turkey or Russia.

 

[RiazHaq]

Why India should issue more medical tourism visas to Pakistani nationals

The highest average earnings per patient through export of health services from India comes from Pakistan at $2,906, says survey

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/07...ue-more-medical-tourism-visas-to-Pakista.html


The highest average earnings per patient through export of health services from India comes from Pakistan at $2,906. Pakistan is followed by Bangladesh ($2,084), CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries ($1,950), Russia ($1,618) and Iraq ($1,530), according to a first of its kind survey on export of health services by Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, under the commerce ministry. This means a patient from Pakistan visiting a hospital in India spends more than people from any other country, boosting India’s foreign exchange reserves.

However, the number of medical visas issued to Pakistani patients in 2015-16 stood at a measly 1,921 compared to 58,360 to patients from Bangladesh and 29,492 to patients from Afghanistan. Due to the low number of medical visas issued, Pakistan contributed only $6 million to India’s services exports compared to $343 million by Bangladesh in 2015-16.

India has emerged as a top-notch destination for medical value travel because of its world-class healthcare facilities and affordable price. India aims to significantly promote medical tourism and has recently liberalized its e-visa system for most of the countries except Pakistan.

In the health tourism portal maintained by the services export promotion council as a one-stop for overseas patients, there is no specific information on how patients from Pakistan can obtain a medical visa. The same information is available for patients from 16 countries, including Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The tension between the two South Asian neighbours has risen after a Pakistan military court handed a death sentence to captured Indian national Kulbhushan Yadav who Pakistan alleges is an Indian spy. India has denied the charge and has repeatedly asked for consular access to Yadav that Pakistan has refused time and again. There are reports that India may further restrict visas to Pakistani nationals, though another report claims visas will be issued to Pakistan nationals only on medical ground.

Pakistani nationals can get visitor visa of six months to meet relatives or friends or any other legitimate purpose and the duration of stay in India at a time shall not exceed three months. “However, senior citizens (above 65 years of age) or a Pakistan national married to an Indian and their children below 12 years of age accompanying parents may be granted two years visit visa with multiple entries subject to certain conditions,” minister of state in the ministry of home affairs Kiren Rijiju said in response to a question in Rajya Sabha earlier this month.

 

[MultaniGuy]

Pakistanis shouldn't go to India period for medical treatment.

Only idiots go to India for medical treatment.

I would rather go to China, Middle East, Or Europe for Medical Treatment.

 

[Lotus_stalk]

Funny how Indian skill and talent, forces Pakistanis to swallow their ego and hatred, and come to India for treatment.

Indian Doctor operating on Pakistani patient.
Indian Doctor: Say Kashmir belongs to India
Pakistani Patient: Yes, Kashmir belongs to India

 

[MultaniGuy]

Funny how Indian skill and talent, forces Pakistanis to swallow their ego and hatred, and come to India for treatment.

Indian Doctor operating on Pakistani patient.
Indian Doctor: Say Kashmir belongs to India
Pakistani Patient: Yes, Kashmir belongs to India

Nice try Indian animal

Name me which Pakistani says Kashmir belongs to India???

 

[ito]

Probably because Pakistanis come to India when a patient needs life saving treatment. Or it is not worth trying for an indian visa. Unlike BDians who come for just medical tests. The same with other nationalities.

 

[thunderr]

Thats a valid point.Shouldnt all weather friend China issues nationals of Pakistan medical Visas.

 

[N.Siddiqui]

Probably because Pakistanis come to India when a patient needs life saving treatment. Or it is not worth trying for an indian visa. Unlike BDians who come for just medical tests. The same with other nationalities.

Check this, many Indians hospitals earns a substantial income from patients from Pakistan...read it here.

One reason India has started issuing Visas to Pakistan patients after the pressure is build on the government by the medical tourism industry India...one reason it is called an industry...


Visas delayed, flow of Pakistan patients dries up in Delhi hospitals

Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, which gets substantial patient traffic from across the border, says it is severely hit. According to a hospital official, the usual Pakistan traffic of 30-40 patients per month is “down to single digits”. “There is a ‘go slow’, it seems. Initially patients were calling up asking for help in getting visas but now even that has reduced as the reality sinks in there. This has been the case since the Jadhav issue,” the official said.

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...patients-dries-up-in-delhi-hospitals-4646859/

 

[MultaniGuy]

Check this, many Indians hospitals earns a substantial income from patients from Pakistan...read it here.

One reason India has started issuing Visas to Pakistan patients after the pressure is build on the government by the medical tourism industry India...one reason it is called an industry...


Visas delayed, flow of Pakistan patients dries up in Delhi hospitals

Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, which gets substantial patient traffic from across the border, says it is severely hit. According to a hospital official, the usual Pakistan traffic of 30-40 patients per month is “down to single digits”. “There is a ‘go slow’, it seems. Initially patients were calling up asking for help in getting visas but now even that has reduced as the reality sinks in there. This has been the case since the Jadhav issue,” the official said.

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...patients-dries-up-in-delhi-hospitals-4646859/

I would rather go to Middle East or China for medical treatment than to India.

 

[ranjeet]

I would rather go to Middle East or China for medical treatment than to India.

Great, I hope you can convince people who desperately wants to visit India. China or even Turkey can subsidize the medical care for Pakistanis.

 

[MultaniGuy]

Great, I hope you can convince people who desperately wants to visit India. China or even Turkey can subsidize the medical care for Pakistanis.

Nobody desperately want to go to India you twit!

The few Pakistanis who go to India for medical treatment

 

[ranjeet]

Nobody desperately want to go to India you twit!

The few Pakistanis who go to India for medical treatment

Twit are those who still wants to come to India, better work on your own end instead of calling Indians names. Preach it to them ... not us.

 

[thunderr]

ranjeet then how will your doctors manage to run their homes and hospitals without the money we give?did you ever try to read the stats? Indians can't afford this much.Say thanks to us

 

[MultaniGuy]

Twit are those who still wants to come to India, better work on your own end instead of calling Indians names. Preach it to them ... not us.

You are an idiot.

This is a Pakistani forum. Please get out of here Indian rat.

Only a few want to go to India for advanced medical treatment.