Indian medical tourism hit by Bangladesh visa ban: Apollo Hospitals

Apollo Hospitals said that they aim to collaborate with the government’s “Heal in India” initiative, which seeks to make India a global leader in medical and traditional healthcare

Published on: Feb 22, 2025, 06:08:13 IST

By Ridhima Gupta

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The Indian medical tourism industry has been impacted following the ban on Bangladeshi visas, with a noticeable drop in the number of patients seeking treatment in India, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise joint managing director Sangita Reddy said on Friday. She was speaking at the 12th edition of the International Health Dialogue 2025.

India attracts medical tourists from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and multiple Asian and African nations. (HT Archive)

Reddy noted the need for a liberal visa policy for overseas patients to boost medical tourism. “If you look at neighbouring countries like Thailand, Turkey, the Philippines, and Singapore, they offer visa-on-arrival facilities for medical tourists. We are requesting the government to enhance the ease of patient entry, speed up the visa process, and promote medical tourism in India,” she added.

Apollo Hospitals said that they aim to collaborate with the government’s “Heal in India” initiative, which seeks to make India a global leader in medical and traditional healthcare. India attracts medical tourists from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and multiple Asian and African nations.

Meanwhile, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise executive vice chairperson Preetha Reddy highlighted the need for medical education reforms. “We are focusing on upskilling undergraduate doctors since the number of postgraduate seats is limited. We are collaborating with different stakeholders to create training modules to make them highly skilled clinicians,” she added.

Union minister JP Nadda, also present at the event, noted that out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure in India has dropped from 64.2% to 39.4% over the past decade. He said that India is poised to lead a global healthcare transformation.

Separately, Apollo Hospitals has announced plans to add 3,000 beds across its network in the next five years, with an investment of ₹6,000 crore.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ridhima Gupta
Ridhima Gupta is a Principal Correspondent at Hindustan Times, where she covers healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and public health policy. Her reporting centers on Delhi’s major hospitals (AIIMS, Safdarjung, Lok Nayak), the state health department, and emerging medical trends. Ridhima is particularly interested in reporting on healthcare issues through the lens of women, children, and persons with disabilities. Her work often explores the intersection of healthcare and public policy, examining how these factors shape access health care. Based in New Delhi, many of her reports have led to direct government action over the years, in different city. Earlier this year, she completed a media training workshop on the Impact of Extreme Heat on Health, organised by the Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC), further strengthening her interest in reporting on the intersection of climate change and public health. A postgraduate from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Ridhima has around a decade of experience in journalism. She began her career as a trainee television reporter with Mirror Now in Mumbai and has since worked across multiple cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi, contributing to both print and broadcast newsrooms. She is a recipient of the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022) for her reporting on education, disability, and women’s issues. Before joining Hindustan Times, Ridhima worked with The Times of India, New Indian Express and News18. A native of Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, Ridhima completed her undergraduate studies in Biotechnology. And when she is not working as a journalist she likes to paint and go on nature hikes.Read More

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