Much hyped about, no work has yet started on exploring the medical tourism potential of J&K, the pandemic and the prevalent healthcare set-up further delaying the prospects.
In 2019, J&K’s State Administrative Council passed the State Health Care Investment Policy 2019 meant to promote entrepreneurship for upgrading healthcare infrastructure in the state. The Policy talked about health resorts to boost health and wellness tourism as J&K with its numerous popular destinations and pristine spots. In addition, the policy also saw J&K opening up to private players for infrastructure development in the health sector. Two medical cities were also discussed to provide space for investors to start medical and health projects.
However, nearly two years on, J&K is yet to see any of these plans taking shape. A specialist working at SKIMS Soura said that the “immense potential” of health tourism in J&K had for long been ignored. The delay in these projects, he said, was costing J&K on many fronts. The doctor said that due to poor infrastructure, thousands of patients seek medical advice and treatment in hospitals outside J&K. “A robust private sector could help in reducing the expenses of patients as well as help in providing employment to the growing lot of medical and para medical graduates and specialists,” he said.
The specialist said that J&K was losing skilled people to the health sector outside. “How many of our oncologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, neonatologists and other specialists have chosen to work outside, just because they could not get an avenue here,” he said.
J&K’s tourism sector has also for long called for Government’s attention towards tapping the potential of Parallel Itineraries. “If we had a good healthcare sector here, tourists could come for treatments and also chose to recuperate here,” Ghulam Hassan Monga, a senior tourism operator from Srinagar city said.
Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo said J&K had extended invitations to the private and corporate sector and discussions were on with many. Regarding the identification of land for medical city development, he said the Government was looking at locations and doing feasibility analysis. “We have not yet received any formal proposal in the area,” he said.
The FC said the pandemic had pushed the timelines behind and the Government’s focus currently was on improving the healthcare infrastructure. “Improvement in healthcare delivery in J&K will help in medical tourism plans too,” he said adding that human resource development was part of the focus.