
Govt approves med value travel to boost Raj's healthcare sector
Medical Value Travel
(MVT) under the '
Heal in Rajasthan
' policy, which the state govt approved Monday, aims to integrate medical services and tourism by establishing a dedicated body of healthcare and tourism experts.
This body will manage MVT operators, ensure quality and standards, and enhance patients' experiences. Additionally, the policy seeks to leverage Rajasthan's robust and expanding healthcare infrastructure, which comprises over 8,000 govt and private hospitals, including 400 multi-specialty and super-specialty facilities.
The policy is drafted to develop hubs for
medical tourism
to cater to both domestic and international tourists for
secondary and tertiary care
procedures. It also aims to create hubs for
Ayush-based wellness tourism
, combining traditional Indian therapies such as Ayurveda, yoga, neurotherapy, Unani, Siddha, and homeopathy with the state's rich cultural heritage.
The govt will seek assistance from the ministries of external affairs, civil aviation, commerce and industry, finance, tourism, and Indian embassies abroad to further expand the ecosystem for MVT.
For formulating the MVT, the health department established an MVT committee to promote medical tourism, comprising representatives from various govt departments, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the Bureau of Investment Promotion, and departments of Tourism, Urban Development and Housing, and CII.
In preparing the MVT, the Health Department engaged with private hospitals, the tourism department, and other stakeholders to gather inputs. The focus was to attract foreign tourists seeking medical treatment, wellness, rejuvenation, and traditional medicine-based cures to Rajasthan.
The state govt plans to leverage Jaipur's growing network of private hospitals, which became a popular medical tourism destination over the past two decades, to provide affordable and accessible treatment to both international and domestic patients, said a senior health department official.
Hesaid the state govt's commitment to the health sector is evident from the allocation of 8.26% of the budget to health, the highest provision to date.
The state govt aims to position Rajasthan as a model in the healthcare sector through policy decisions, creating significant opportunities for investment, employment, and growth in related industries such as pharmaceuticals and hospitality.
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