New Visa Exemptions For Foreigners Seeking Medical Treatment In India

The Consulate General of India in Dubai has realised a statement exempting visa for foreigners seeking medical treatment in India. According to the statement, an exemption has been given to foreigners from getting their primary visa converted into a medical visa for obtaining indoor treatment up to 180 days for seeking admission in a hospital owing to illness. 

As per the exemption, a foreigner suffering from a minor medical condition that requires only Out Patient Department (OPD) consultation or treatment may seek treatment from any hospital, treatment centre on primary visa, instead of converting into a medical visa with the exception of Pakistani nationals. Also allowing for foreigners to obtain indoor treatment on a primary visa, a condition of 180 days has been stipulated on the same. 

As per the Consulate, the hospital/treatment center authorities concerned shall furnish the details of the foreigner in a prescribed format along with the details of the indoor medical treatment to be taken by the foreigner, duly certified by the treating doctor to the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) concerned within 24 hours after the admission of the foreigner in the hospital/treatment center for such indoor medical treatment. 

Medical tourism in India, a growing industry trend.

Convenience with reduced costs and the availability of the latest medical technologies, medical treatment in India is a growing compliance on international quality standards, doctors trained in western countries including the United States and the United Kingdom. With about 234,000 medical tourists visiting India in 2015, the figure has more than doubled over the year with a reported 495,056 visitors in 2017. 

Currently, India boasts about 38 hospitals all accredited by the Joint Commission International, a leading authority on global healthcare practices. The Indian Medical tourism market projected to reach USD 9 billion by next year, Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary for the Department of Commerce’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry said “The strength of India lies in the skills of our doctors, support staff, calibre of our nurses and the state-of-the-art infrastructure which has come up in the last few years, some of which are still not available even in very developed economies”.  

Now given the ease of travel to India for medical treatment, the medical tourism market in India is expected to reach a whopping USD 135 billion by 2024.

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