The East African countries ranks the highest in medical tourism

By Kenan Kalagho

East African Business Week/04/09/2012

Africa-Health: Medical tourism up

News - Africa news

Medical tourism in Africa - The East African countries ranks the highest in medical tourism to India with hundreds of thousand patients travelling to India to seek medical treatment every year. Speaking in Dar es Salaam, last week the Indian Counsellor to Tanzania Mr. Kunal Roy said that there has been a considerable increase with regard to medical tourism from the East African countries which mainly attributes to lower costs involved in treatment in Indian hospitals as opposed to other countries like Europe and the West.

Treating one patient in Europe with heart surgery is equivalent to treating five of such patients in India and this makes many countries around the world and especially in East Africa to seek for medical treatment in India than in the west and or European countries" Counsellor Roy said.
The Indian Counsellor to Tanzania Counsellor Roy said that India has the best infrastructure that has been attained by its government and thus making medical related treatment to be of lower prices compared to Western countries.
He noted that the Indian High Commission was currently in collaboration with the government of Tanzania to erect a 500 bed hospital in the country that would make more Tanzanians receive treatment at home that most could get in India.
The Counsellor further said that besides improving the health sector in the country, the hospital would also train Tanzania medical practitioners, thus reducing congestion at most hospitals in the country.
He also noted that India Medical Tourism Trade Fair last week offered an opportunity to learn from India medical professionals while also offering the public knowledge about the services being offered.
The Regional Director (Trade Fair) Lt Col Vivek Kodikal said about 30 hospitals from India participated in the Medical Tourism.