Viewing the growing potential of health tourism globally, the department of tourism, government of Karnataka, has come up with a unique concept of tapping the multi-billion dollar sector. The tourism department has chalked out plans to promote the hospitals of the state in the international arena with a thrust on pre or post treatment leisure tours.

According to D B Inamdar, minister of state for tourism, “The idea is to make Karnataka a top health tourism destination, not only in India but internationally. We want to lure foreigners to Karnataka to avail of our sophisticated medical facilities and subsequently induce them to enjoy our multiple tourism offerings. This endeavour will have a positive impact on the entire economy of the state.”

The government is reportedly setting up a Bangalore International Health City Corporation to attract patients for all sorts of health care and treatments. Plans have also been drawn up to present Karnataka at an international health tourism meet at Bahrain in October this year. “We have every kind of healthcare system, be it allopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda, unani, sidda, etc in Karnataka coupled with world class state-of-the-art facilities. We want to use these facilities and infrastructure to grow our tourism fortunes,” says Inamdar.

Plans include package deals of nutrition, health and holistic healing coupled with minor surgeries, regular tours to heritage spots for relatives of recovering patients, post-operative stay at beach resorts, etc. So far only few individual health organisations have made efforts to popularise themselves in the international market, with a fillip from the state more are like to do so. Having a steady clientele of medical cases from Bangladesh, Pakistan, African countries and West Asia, plans are now afoot to target patients from Europe and other developed countries.

“Karnataka produces the maximum number of doctors, nurses and medical technicians in the country. If we make a little more effort in a unified manner, this sector will open up and grow considerably,” asserts Inamdar.