A first of its kind healthcare expo highlighting India's potential as a major health tourism destination for people from the Gulf countries will take place in Bahrain next week.
The Bahrain-India Conference and Exhibition will be held from October 22 to 24 to showcase India as a destination for people seeking treatment abroad due to the lack of inexpensive specialist services in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
"India has a highly skilled workforce, world-class locally manufactured drugs, implants, consumables and medical equipment as well as accredited hospitals with world-class infrastructure and research facilities," Indian Medical Association's Bahrain Chapter president Dr Babu Ramachandran said.
The shift in destination from countries like the UK, Germany and the US to India is mainly being driven by cost considerations and comparable quality of service, he told the Gulf Daily News.
"It is an opportunity we would like to highlight during the Bahrain-India Conference and Exhibition next week," he added.
"Delegates from India will explore potential opportunities in the region, which would mainly target medical tourism. We know that many Indian providers are endeavouring to open healthcare facilities in the region to obviate need to travel to India," Dr Ramachandran said.
According to a recent report from leading consulting firm, McKinsey and Company, the GCC countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE - will face an unparalleled and unprecedented rise in demand for healthcare over the course of the next decade.
The company estimates that total healthcare spending in the region will reach USD 60 billion in 2025.
