We Should Improve Hygiene Standards to Promote Medical Tourism: Manohar Parrikar

Goa needs to improve its hygiene conditions to boost medical tourism in the state, says Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. The BJP politician pointed out that this is one area that can easily put off visitors.

“We, in India, probably have the best medical facilities, but lack in pre-operative and post-operative care,” Parrikar said. “Here is where the potential client gets worried,” he added, referring to the foreign nationals who visit India for medical care.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Parrikar was speaking at the inaugural function of the sixth International Conference on Pain Management at Dona Paula. He also assured the participants that he will take all the necessary steps to boost medical tourism in Goa, the Times of India reported.

“Pain medicine will help boost health care in the state,” Dr. Seetaram Korgaonkar, the organizing secretary of the conference, said, calling the program one of the first of its kind dedicated exclusively to pain management in the state.

Move to Overtake Kerala in Medical Tourism

Medical tourism was given an impetus in Goa in 2002, but even after 15 years, the state lacks resources. Earlier this year, at the Difficult Dialogues Conference held in Dona Paula, orthopedic doctor Dr Deep Bhandari said that several steps will be taken in Goa so that the state can become the top preferred destination for international patients, a status currently occupied by Kerala.

An added advantage that Goa has in their course to emerge as the leading medical tourism hub in India is that foreign language proficiency is higher among healthcare professionals in the state as compared to Kerala.

Last year, Sanjiv Gauns Dessai, the director of tourism in Goa, said that the state government aims to bring top-class medical facilities and doctors to the state see a boost in the sector.

“World-class medical facilities, trained professionals, and top quality infrastructure — all this makes Goa the place for medical tourism. The modern medical institutions set up in Goa regularly promote medical tourism and wellness packages. Even the government-run Goa Medical College, offers specialized treatments that attract patients from all over the world,” Dessai had said.