India will see a dramatic rise in medical tourists from Bangladesh in 2023, up 48% to 449,570 from 304,067 in 2022. This surge contrasts with relatively low inflows from other neighbouring countries such as the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Myanmar.
According to government data reviewed by Business Standard, India issued just 1,432 medical visas to Sri Lankans in 2023-24, a fall of 11.7% from the previous year. Myanmar nationals were issued 3,019 medical visas, up just 4% from the previous year. Pakistan’s figures remain significantly lower, with just 76 medical visas issued in 2023-24, down from 106 the previous year.
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Anas Abdul Wajid, senior director and chief sales and marketing officer at Max Healthcare, told Business Standard: “We do not accept patients from Pakistan and Afghanistan due to political and security concerns. The Indian government does not issue visas to patients from these countries. We have seen a significant increase in patients from Nepal. There has also been a steady rise in patients from Myanmar. However, following the Financial Times investigation into illegal kidney transplants, embassies and authorities have become more cautious and keen in issuing medical visas.”
Regarding Bangladesh, Wajid noted that the number of cases has increased significantly.
“Patients go to Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Delhi. Indian hospitals have always had an excellent reputation in Bangladesh. Patients usually come for transplant, cardiac science, neuro, orthopedic and oncology-related treatment. Max Healthcare is based in Dhaka and helps patients come to the hospital,” he added.
However, during the general elections, there was a temporary drop in patients from Bangladesh and a drop in the number of visas issued. “Despite our best efforts, the Indian embassy is often inundated with medical visa applications, which means patients often have to wait longer,” Wajid said.
Max Healthcare recorded a 22 percent year-on-year growth in its international business last fiscal.
The surge in visitors from Bangladesh has also led to a significant improvement in air connectivity. Air India has expanded its services between India and Bangladesh from three times a week in June 2023 to 14 times a week now. An Air India official told The Post that the demand on India-Bangladesh routes is so high that even if it were to operate wide-body aircraft on these routes, they would be fully booked. Currently, Air India operates its India-Bangladesh routes using narrow-body aircraft, which have a much larger seating capacity.
IndiGo and Vistara operate 35 and 11 weekly flights between India and Bangladesh respectively. Neither airline responded to Business Standard’s queries on the matter. There are currently 113 weekly flights between India and Bangladesh, and air traffic between the two countries has grown 10.8 percent year-on-year, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
In a move to further boost medical tourism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi last Saturday announced the launch of an e-medical visa scheme for Bangladeshi nationals seeking treatment in India. The announcement was made after meeting his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
Preet Mahtani, managing director (healthcare) at PwC India, told Business Standard: “The primary motivation for patients from Bangladesh to travel to India for medical treatment is access to cost-effective, high-quality care for complex and quaternary medical procedures that may not be available locally. Ease of obtaining medical visas, cultural similarities, comfort with the language and good connectivity by air and land have all contributed to the increase in patient numbers in recent years.”
When asked about ways to attract medical tourists from a wider range of countries, Mahtani outlined several strategies. He suggested providing free medical visas and expediting the application process. He also recommended the establishment of a centre of excellence to promote medical travel and stressed the importance of increasing the number of direct flights with target countries to improve accessibility.
Hospitals say cultural and linguistic similarities between eastern India and Bangladesh also help attract patients.
Santhi Sajan, group chief operating officer at Paras Health, said geographical proximity — it’s possible to travel by road from Bangladesh to Kolkata — as well as linguistic and cultural affinity, play a big role in this trend.
“Additionally, services offered by private healthcare providers, such as offering comprehensive packages that include doctor consultations and medical advisors throughout your stay, are making the process more accessible. Paras Health is seeing a growing number of Bangladeshi patients as well as a diverse patient base from neighbouring and Western countries. This overall trend underlines the broader perspective of India’s emergence as a global healthcare hub,” he said.
Bangladesh’s neighbouring state of West Bengal has seen a surge in cases from the country since the pandemic began.
“West Bengal has seen a significant increase in the number of patients from Bangladesh since the pandemic, with a 10 per cent rise in patient inflow. This increase is due to several factors including geographical proximity between West Bengal and Bangladesh, efficient connectivity through direct trains and buses, cultural, linguistic and culinary links between the regions,” said Sombrata Roy, director of the Calcutta Medical Institute, Kolkata.
Previously, Bangladeshi patients would often seek medical care in other South Asian countries, but COVID-19 restrictions have led many to turn to West Bengal, which is now the preferred destination for their medical needs.
Key areas of medical treatment required include pediatric cardiology, renal care, complex surgery, interventional radiology and robotic joint replacement.
