Medical visas issued, eTV soon

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, has said that with India emerging as an important destination for medical tourism, the medical visa is already being issued and that the e-Tourist Visa as well as scheduled international flights are also set to commence soon.

Nisha Verma

Calling India a popular tourist destination, Dr Harsh Vardhan says that over the last few years, it has also emerged as a leading destination in the world for the purpose of medical tourism.

“Advancements in our vast healthcare industry have made it comparable to the best in the world. Our education system, which has been producing world-class doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, is well-recognised across the globe. Often called the ‘pharmacy of the world’, India is one of the largest manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and supplies a large portion of vaccines used across the globe. All these strengths and capabilities have contributed to India emerging as a crucial medical tourism destination,” he shares, adding that to encourage it further, they have started issuing medical visas. “We have already started issuing medical visas and are planning to soon restart e-Tourist Visas as well as scheduled international flights,” he says.

Speaking at the inauguration of Virtual India Tourism Mart (ITM), Dr Vardhan also said that ITM is being organised at a time when the world is emerging from the dark clouds of the pandemic.

“Countries across the world are contemplating to open for travel, albeit with all health and security precautions in place. It is also the time when India has embarked on the world’s largest immunisation programme against COVID-19. We have not only vaccinated over 8.5 million people in India, but have also sent millions of doses to other countries seeking our help,” he said.

Dr Vardhan also said that at ITM, the deliberations held by the industry will provide ideas and practices for tourism, going forward. He also requested stakeholders to share insights and said reassuringly, “My ministry is fully committed to supporting the efforts made by the tourism industry in reviving international tourism.”