Role Of Healthy Contest In Promoting MVT Stressed

The deliberations at the KHT 2017 underscored the need for having a qualityfocused contest among the stakeholders rather than mere ‘price wars’

The sixth edition of Kerala Health Tourism (KHT) 2017, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Kozhikode recently, has highlighted the need for greater synergy between different stakeholders to achieve the goal of making Kerala an ideal destination for Medical Value Travel (MVT) in India.

The deliberations at the Meet also underscored the need for having a healthy competition among healthcare players in terms of improving quality rather than resorting to ‘price wars.’ There should be concerted efforts to improve the outcome of treatments and gain the confidence of the people by publicising the results. Though the delegates were unanimous in backing Kerala Government’s effort to ensure minimum wages for paramedical staff in private hospitals, they also raised apprehension about its impact on the MVT prospects of the State. The stakeholders argued that the steep hike in operational expenses would scuttle the low-cost treatment advantage being projected by Kerala’s healthcare industry.

Speaking at the valedictory session, T P Ramakrishnan, State Minister for Labour, Skills and Excise, said that the government is keen to collaborate with private healthcare providers to promote MVT. U V Jose IAS, District Collector, Kozhikode, who inaugurated the conference, emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships in developing suitable policies and medical infrastructure and promoting them. He also stressed the need for improving the industry-government linkage to facilitate all round evolution of the medical tourism sector.