Bengaluru: The health minister of Karnataka Dinesh Gundu Rao has assured private hospitals that the government will take necessary measures to promote medical tourism in Bengaluru in coordination with private hospitals. The Minister held a meeting with representatives of private hospitals at Arogya Soudha in Bengaluru and said more consultations will be held with medical experts from the private sector on the steps to be taken by the government to promote health tourism.
The Minister while speaking to media said that people from outside the State and abroad come to Bengaluru in large numbers for treatment. “People coming here need to be assured of modern healthcare facilities and treatment. In this regard, measures should be taken by the government to certify the quality of treatment in private hospitals. This will create a sense of confidence among patients. Besides, IT city Bengaluru can also be acclaimed as a health city,” the Minister said. Stating that patients from outside the city opt for treatment in Bengaluru as the city has good health infrastructure, the Minister said: “Patients in other countries have to wait for months to get a specialist doctor’s appointment. In such a situation, Bengaluru can attract more foreigners through health tourism. Also, people who come to Bengaluru for healthcare services visit other tourist places in the State, thereby helping in tourism development too.”
Representatives of more than 50 prestigious private hospitals, including Manipal Hospital, Narayana Hrudayalaya, and Apollo Health Care, participated in the meeting. Many private sector experts expressed their opinion in the meeting that an official portal should be created on behalf of the government, through which the government itself can give credit points for the quality treatment in private hospitals. Also, some representatives were of the opinion that the government should certify the price and quality of each procedure/treatment.
