Kochi : Experts say that the state can earn huge revenue from the medical value travel (health tourism) sector if Kerala's expatriate population is effectively utilized. The experts pointed out these possibilities on the occasion of the conclusion of the Kerala Health Tourism and Global Ayurveda Summit-Expo.

 The summit, which was held for two days at the Adlux Convention Center in Angamaly, saw 16 Delegates from 100 countries attended the conference. More than 10,000 people from industry , academia , and research attended the conference.

The Medical Value Travel (MVT) sector is witnessing huge growth across the world. Kerala is only tapping a small part of this potential. Every month, around 1,500 MVT patients are coming from the Gulf countries alone. Patients are coming to India for treatment. There is a possibility of attracting a good portion of this to Kerala, said Dr. Dennis Sebastian, Vice President, Middle East, RGA Reinsurance Company. In the UK, the National Health Service has an average of 18 He also pointed out that the wait for treatment will be a week. This situation will be beneficial for Kerala.

 According to reports , in 2024, about 7.4 100,000 foreign nationals visited Kerala for medical and wellness purposes. Of these, 60-70% The name chosen is Ayurveda treatment. By 2024, the state will earn Rs 13,500 through Ayurveda medical tourism alone. Revenue of Rs. 10,800 crore was received (previous year it was Rs. 10,800 crore). (The revenue was Rs. 40 crore per month.) Kerala receives around 40 million rupees per month through modern medical tourism. crore (annual income 480 (Rs. crore). Sreedhareeyam Group Chairman Dr. Hari N. Namboothiri said that MVTs from Maldives , Oman , African countries , Japan , Middle East and South Asian countries are increasingly arriving in Kerala.

JCI and NABH accredited high quality hospitals , low cost of treatment , fusion of modern medicine and Ayurveda , and easy air connectivity through four international airports are the main advantages of Kerala, said Dr. Nalanda Jayadev, CEO, Aster Medicity. In a session on bringing AYUSH hospitals under insurance coverage , experts pointed out that technical issues are the main reason for denial of claims.

 Dr. Swaroop Wase, Vice President, Health Insurance TPA Services, said that Kerala is at the forefront in submitting credible claims. Dr. Sushant Kumar, Head, Liva Insurance, said that lack of credibility and transparency is hindering claim settlement.

 Dr. Ashish Yadav, Head of Business Operations, Manipal Cigna Health Insurance, said that insurance companies can no longer avoid alternative treatments due to the increasing interest in them. He added that alternative treatments help in avoiding hospital stays in the future.

  The conference, attended by representatives from countries , discussed topics such as Ayurveda , modern medicine , and insurance. The summit was concluded by Malaysian Consul General K. Saravana Kumar. 

PHOTO CAPTION:
The closing ceremony of the Global Ayurveda Summit and Kerala Health Tourism 2025 was inaugurated by K. Saravana Kumar, Council General, Malaysia, Chennai. Dr. Saji Kumar, Chairman, Global Ayurveda Summit, and Dr. P. M. Warrier, Convener, CII Kerala Healthcare Panel were present on the occasion