Puducherry has potential to emerge as medical tourism hub of India: Lt. Governor

Puducherry aims to become a major medical tourism hub with potential for super specialty hospitals and advanced medical equipment.

Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan on Monday said Puducherry has got the potential to emerge as a major medical tourism hub of the country.

Interacting with a group of doctors after inaugurating MRI facility at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Women and Child Hospital (RGGW & CH), the Lt. Governor said the Union Territory has got a sizeable number of medical colleges.. 

“The Union Territory has nine medical colleges, which is a huge number considering the territory’s size. Puducherry is a prominent tourist destination in the country. There is tremendous scope to make the Union Territory a medical tourism hub. We should all work together to harness the potential,” he said.

He stressed the need to convert some of the medical colleges in the Union Territory as super specialty hospitals. Chief Minister N. Rangasamy was also present. 

Chief of government pharmacy and directorate of health and family welfare, J. Ramesh said that the MRI scanner inaugurated at the RGGW & CH was part of the bulk medical equipment procurement made by the government last year. 

Two MRI scanning machines, each costing around ₹11. 50 crore, were procured for the women and child hospital here and for the government hospital at Karaikal. As part of the procurement, the government hospital in Puducherry will soon get a high-end MRI scanner purchased at a cost of ₹14 crore, he said.

“Several other important medical equipment, including digital mammography, have also been purchased. Last year, we have made purchases through centralised e-tendering process for the tune of around ₹60 crore. This year, we are planning to buy medical equipment for around ₹14 crore after approval from the government. All these machines are coming with free annual maintenance,” he said.