Medical tourism in Kolkata takes a hit with tensions in Bangladesh

Medical tourism in Kolkata faces challenges as visa approvals for Bangladeshi patients are halted amidst ongoing crisis.

Many patients in hospitals in Kolkata and its suburban areas come from the neighbouring country of Bangladesh, boosting the city’s health sector. They have now seeing a significant fall in the number of patients. Some doctors are also worried that critically ill patients from Bangladesh will not be able to keep their appointments, falling behind on their treatment as visa approvals have been halted amidst the ongoing crisis in that country.

“According to estimates, India witnessed a 48% rise in medical tourists from Bangladesh in 2023 when compared with 2022. As many as 4.49 lakh patients from Bangladesh came to India in 2023, and a significant majority of them usually come to West Bengal for treatment. The ongoing stir in Bangladesh will lead to some realignment and rescheduling of their travel plans,” Pratim Sengupta, senior nephrologist and MD, Nephro Care India Limited, said. But Dr. Sengupta remained hopeful that this down-time would be a temporary setback and the industry would bounce back soon.

An official from the Manipal Group of Hospitals, Kolkata, said that they had felt the pinch of the developing situation in Bangladesh at their hospital. “Footfall is beginning to go down from today [Saturday] since the Indian Embassy at Dhaka stopped issuing visas from yesterday [Friday]. Our average footfall from Bangladesh is around 2,500 across our three hospitals in Kolkata, including OPD [Out Patient Department] and IP [In-Patient], which has gone down to around 1,800 since agitation started in Bangladesh. It’s likely to go down further from next week, particularly OPD footfall,” the Manipal Hospitals’ official said.

Some doctors, who had critically ill patients scheduled for appointments, remained worried about their well-being. “Many of my patients got stuck in India after completing their treatment. Many of my cancer patients, who were scheduled to come to start their treatment, couldn’t come. Mainly for cancer patients, it is very much detrimental. As a physician, I expect that normalcy will be restored soon and we will all work together to save human lives,” Sayan Paul, consultant, Radiation Oncology, Apollo Cancer Centre, Kolkata, said.

The Internet shutdown in Bangladesh has also made it difficult for doctors to connect with patients with major illnesses.

As travel is being restricted across the India-Bangladesh border, it has become harder for patients to reach their scheduled medical appointments. Trains and buses have been cancelled, and cross-border travel poses safety issues for many. “Some hospitals in India, especially Kolkata and Chennai, who had a sizable chunk of Bangladeshi patients, are looking ahead to a lean season. Some patients are cancelling their trips, and some who are already in India are desperately making arrangements to prolong their stay. Footfalls in various OPDs have lessened and appointments are being cancelled in specialists’ chambers across the city,” M.S. Purkait, medical superintendent, Techno India DAMA Hospital, said.

The days ahead for medical tourism in Kolkata hinge on the resolution of the ongoing crisis in Bangladesh. The picture will become clearer as the situation develops in the coming days.