India has potential to become medical tourism hub: Naqvi

The step would bring down the cost of coronary stents by about 380 per cent, said Naqvi, who is also Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.

He said the new ceiling prices will promote `Make in India initiative in a big way. Seeing the large number of patients and future requirement, foreign companies will also try to make stents in India to cut costs and remain competitive.

At present, the market size of India made stents is roughly 30 per cent, the Minister said.

Naqvi said the Modi Government has been working on war footing to provide better health services in the rural areas as well.

Given the Governments focus on the health sector and availability of a vast pool of professionals, India has the potential to become a "medical tourism hub", he said.

He asked the medical professionals to take their job as a mission. Commercial interest alone should not dominate this mission to provide affordable and accessible health facilities for all, Naqvi said.

Terming the large resource of talented doctors and medical professionals as a matter of pride for India, he said "We need support of these dedicated medical professionals to make our health services affordable and accessible."