By Hassan Zaggi
Following the ease of foreign travel restrictions in India, the medical tourism industry that was hitherto crippled due to the COVID-19 pandemic had since commenced.
Speaking at a virtual sensitization workshop for Nigerian journalists, on Tuesday, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Manipal Hospital Enterprise, India, Mr. Karthik Rajagopal, disclosed that since the ease on travel restrictions to India due to near-zero cases of the COVID-19, patients who had previous appointments have begun to rush to the country for specialist medical care.
It would be recalled that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical tourism had suffered major setbacks and patients had to postpone their surgeries and other treatments due to travel restrictions.
This impacted many lives and made the patient’s conditions even worse, therefore, increasing the morbidity and mortality risk associated with treatable and preventable health conditions.
Addressing the journalists, Mr. Rajagopal said: “Manipal Hospitals has always believed in making healthcare accessible to everyone. Many patients had to postpone their treatments due to the pandemic, but now that the COVID cases in India have been brought under control and international crossings are opening, we are glad to offer our services to our overseas patients.
“It is now critical to recognize that delaying both emergency and routine medical care will increase the danger of the underlying diseases worsening and may result in mortality.
“With the opening of international borders, we can now continue to assist overseas patients who have had their procedures postponed due to the pandemic and travel restrictions.
“Nothing brings us more joy at Manipal Hospital than giving our patients a new lease on life, and we encourage our patients not to delay their treatment or surgeries.
“We are now prepared to maintain the same level of confidence and clinical excellence among international patients, thanks to our amazing team of doctors.“
He, therefore, called on patients who have critical health issues not to delay as this may cause more harm to their health, stressing that: “With outstanding equipment, world-class technology, and a team of experienced doctors, the hospital is delivering healthcare services to international patients while adhering to strict safety standards.”
He noted that the Manipal Overseas Patient Care Centre provides great services for its international patients, such as visas, transportation, insurance, and many others.
Among the senior journalists in Nigeria that attended the training included National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Christopher Isiguzo; NUJ General Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Leman and the President, Association of Nigeria Health Journalists (ANHEJ), Hassan Zaggi.
