India now has a board for medical tourism

The government has announced the National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board to help foreign nationals landing on Indian shores for medical reasons.

"The Board, besides Ministry officials, will include other stakeholders such as hospitals, hoteliers, medical experts and tour operators," Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said.

India has long been touted as an affordable healthcare destination for citizens of many developed countries. The board would also boost initiatives like yoga, ayurveda and unani Sharma said.

A KPMG report places India among the top three medical tourism destinations in Asia, the other two being Thailand and Singapore. This is mainly due to the low cost of treatment, and the availability of quality healthcare facilities.

(Image credit: Indiatimes)