Four-day Kerala Health Tourism meet to begin on Mar 23

Kochi, Mar 7 (UNI) Taking advantage of health tourism gaining momentum in developing countries, a four-day international conference on medical tourism will be held here from March 23.

About 400-600 delegates, including those representing medical insurance firms, Third Party Administrators and speakers from various countries are likely to participate in the conference.

It will stress on cost effectiveness, competence and attractions of tourism in God's Own Country, Kerala, Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) Kerala Chairman M K Koshi told mediapersons here yesterday.

With hospitals in India attaining world class standards, there has been growing demand for patients from several developed countries looking towards India for surgical and dental treatments which are expected to bring in huge inflow of foreign exchange to the country, he said.

Being organised by the CII in association with Kerala Tourism department, the conference would also focus on new areas that could promote health tourism, Mr Koshi said.

The conference is being sponsored by several major private hospitals in the state which are already providing assistance to patients from various foreign countries.

The opening up of private hospitals to health tourism in a big way will also help in total upgradation of Kerala's health tourism sector, conference Chairman Philip Augustine of the Lakeshore Hospital, Kochi, said.

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