40 per cent rise in medical tourism in Kerala:CII

Kochi, Mar 19 (UNI) Kerala has witnessed an increase of about 40 per cent in the number of overseas medical tourists last year and the state is becoming a prominent destination for medical tourism in the country, the CII said today.

Addressing a press conference here to announce the 'Kerala Health Tourism Summit 2007', CII Kerala Council President Navas Meeran said 15,000 medical tourists visited the state last year.

''The CII and the state tourism department are pooling in their resources to make Kerala one of the top five global destinations for medical tourism,'' he added.

Dr Philip Augustine, CEO, Lakeshore Hospital, said the state's target was to attract 100,000 medical tourists to Kerala by 2010.

Announcing the 'Kerala Health Tourism Summit 2007' (KHT2007), Dr Augustine said this would be formally inaugurated by Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni here on March 24. Kerala home affairs and tourism minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan would preside over the function. Union Tourism Secretary A K Mishra and other senior officials would also attend the summit.

About 800 delegates, including several from the US, Europe, Canada and the West Asia, were expected to attend the four-day meet. The foreign delegates would include representatives of insurance companies besides doctors and tour operators.

He said a special attraction at the KHT2007 would be three separate focus pavilions on 'Allopathy', 'Dental Health' and 'Ayurveda'.

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