Kochi, July 28: The Union Health Ministry is set to launch the portal for its ‘Heal in India and Heal by India’ initiative and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to announce it on this Independence Day. The portal, developed under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, will be the flagbearer of medical tourism in the country.

Promoting transparency and accountability in the medical tourism segment, the portal will provide a list of medical services, charges and all other relevant information so that the medical tourists can take an informed decision. The Central Government intends to showcase the country as a preferred medical tourism destination through this move.

The government intends to give medical tourists visa support, language support, and hospital support at any point and doctors of alternative medicinal systems too will be on board to treat. The National Health Authority (NHA) itself has a network of over 25,000 hospitals in the country while established private hospitals in metro cities continue to be the pick of discerning medical value travelers. The NHA seeks to take a lead role in medical tourism with this initiative with its elaborate resources so that an institutional framework for medical tourism emerges.

The free portal will also take care of the grievances related to cheating, overcharging and quality. The health ministry has identified over 40 countries from where India has witnessed higher medical tourist footfall as well the key sectors they are currently tapping and offer potential in future.