Opinions divided on Goa’s medical tourism potential

  • | Sunday | 12th February, 2017

PANAJI: Experts from the medical fraternity could not find common ground while discussing the potential of Goa being developed as a medical tourism hub.Speaking at a panel discussion at the Difficult Dialogues conference, held in Dona Paula, Orthopedic Dr Deep Bhandari listed out several advantages that the state holds in becoming a prime destination for medical tourism. The top doctors wont travel from big cities and instead call their patients to their clinic or hospital in the metros," Albuquerque said, adding that "priority for the patient is treatment, not the destination". "It has become a business. "We have decent medical infrastructure through private hospitals and there is no language barrier as well," Bhandari said, adding that the state can achieve the status currently enjoyed by Kerala , if it eradicates problems such as vector-borne diseases and substandard public hygiene.Plastic surgeon Satish Arolkar shared similar views, but asserted that the state first needs to improve medical infrastructure for locals.Arolkar said the government should work on providing a medical visa to people who have planned a surgery beforehand and also improve the telecommunication facilities in the state.Chairman of Rajagiri Victor Hospital Victor Albuquerque had a different opinion and said the top doctors don't want to work at a small place like Goa.

PANAJI: Experts from the medical fraternity could not find common ground while discussing the potential of Goa being developed as a medical tourism hub.Speaking at a panel discussion at the Difficult Dialogues conference, held in Dona Paula, Orthopedic Dr Deep Bhandari listed out several advantages that the state holds in becoming a prime destination for medical tourism. "We have decent medical infrastructure through private hospitals and there is no language barrier as well," Bhandari said, adding that the state can achieve the status currently enjoyed by Kerala , if it eradicates problems such as vector-borne diseases and substandard public hygiene.Plastic surgeon Satish Arolkar shared similar views, but asserted that the state first needs to improve medical infrastructure for locals.Arolkar said the government should work on providing a medical visa to people who have planned a surgery beforehand and also improve the telecommunication facilities in the state.Chairman of Rajagiri Victor Hospital Victor Albuquerque had a different opinion and said the top doctors don't want to work at a small place like Goa."It has become a business. The top doctors wont travel from big cities and instead call their patients to their clinic or hospital in the metros," Albuquerque said, adding that "priority for the patient is treatment, not the destination".

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