Need stressed to promote medical tourism
Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, SVP FPCCI, in his keynote emphasised that Pakistani doctors are world-class experts and we can earn substantial foreign exchange for the country through medical tourism like Turkiye, India, Iran and China.
He explained that globally tourism industry contributes 10 percent to the World GDP; accounts for 330 million jobs and 28.3% of global services exports.
Since the 1970s, tourism has been used as a tool for community development with emphasis on economic development and lessening poverty; as a result, many developing countries have promoted and supported tourism projects in their national development plans.
SVP FPCCI elaborated that medical tourism has also emerged as a major industry globally valued at $144.5 billion in 2024. It is projected to reach US$ 700 billion by the year 2033. Key players such as Thailand, Iran, India, Türkiye, Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia have established themselves as medical tourism hubs, leveraging competitive pricing, advanced healthcare facilities and government support.
Lt Gen Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat (Retd), MD Green Tourism Pvt Ltd, maintained that the global medical tourism market is driven by rising healthcare costs in developed countries, long wait times and the demand for specialized treatments. Many countries have successfully attracted international patients by offering advanced medical technologies, high-quality care and a blend of medical and leisure tourism.
Zubair Tufail, former President FPCCI, highlighted that medical tourism has huge potential in Pakistan; and, from the platform of Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) several conferences in Turkiye, Iran and other countries have been organised on the subject. This conference is first ever conference from private sector in Pakistan and is live streaming in all OIC countries.
The conference was also addressed by Atif Hanif, President & CEO, AlBaraka Bank Pakistan; Saima Agha, Parliamentary Secretary, Sindh; Dr. Farhat Abbas, CEO AKUH; Dr Habib-Ur-Rahman, Chairman of Shifa International Hospitals and other healthcare industry leaders.
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