WEAK RUPEE SPURS MEDICAL TOURISM

In view of the falling rupee against foreign currencies, the number of medical tourists coming to India has jumped by 40 per cent in the past six months, according to an Assocham study. "Fall of rupee versus dollar has proved to be advantageous to the patients from Middle East, Africa and SAARC countries to the extent of 35 to 45 per cent on complex surgeries," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said. Consequently, the inflow of patients has also gone up by 40 per cent during the last six months, the study showed. The current market size of the Indian medical tourism sector is Rs 7,500 crore and likely to touch Rs 12,000 crore by 2015 with an annual growth rate of 25 per cent. States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and New Delhi are fast emerging as India's best medical centres with several hospitals and speciality clinics coming up in the cities, as per the study. A medical procedure that cost a medical tourist USD 10,000 in 2010 would now cost around USD 7,000. An Australian having the same procedure would also pay 45 per cent less today. Similarly, anyone paying in Euros would save around 25 to 35 per cent in the current scenario, the study said. "The inflow of medical tourists in India is also likely to cross 45 lakh by 2015 from the current level of 25 lakh," the study found.