New Delhi, Mar 17 (PTI) The escalating West Asia conflict is likely having an adverse impact on medical tourism in the capital, with hospitals across Delhi-NCR reporting an average decline of around 30 per cent in international patient footfall.
Experts said inflow of patients from West Asia has been most affected, leading to a sharp drop in arrivals and impacting hospital revenues. Medical experts and city hospitals said the region has traditionally been the largest source for medical tourism in the capital.
“Iraq and other West Asian nations account for approximately 25-30 per cent of our international patient footfall and revenue. Consequently, the current instability has had a severe negative impact on our overall international operations,” said Ratnesh Sinha, Chief Marketing Officer, Pushpawati Singhania Hospital & Research Institute (PSRI) in south Delhi.
Military escalations between US-Israel and Iran has triggered a prolonged conflict in West Asia, disrupting travel and connectivity across the region.
Echoing similar concerns, Dr (Prof) Purshotam Lal, Chairman, Metro Group of Hospitals, which has key centres in East Delhi, said West Asia remains the largest market for Indian healthcare services, contributing around 30-40 per cent of international medical travellers.
“We have observed a disproportionate impact on patient arrivals from this region, mainly from Iraq, Oman and neighbouring countries from where patients usually travel for planned procedures,” he told PTI.
Calling Delhi-NCR one of the most sought-after destinations for medical tourism, especially for patients from the West Asia, Pankaj Chandna, Co-founder of Vaidam Health, said patients from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Yemen and the UAE have consistently opted for treatment here due to its advanced healthcare infrastructure and expertise.
“In past few weeks, there has been a noticeable dip of around 25-30 per cent in patient enquiries from certain parts of West Asia,” he said, adding that most patients are stalling their treatment plans rather than cancelling.
Among West Asian nations, patient arrivals from Iraq has been worst hit, experts said.
“Arrivals from Iraq have seen a very sharp decline, with patient footfall dropping to just 20 per cent of previous numbers,” said Dr Mandeep Singh Malhotra, oncologist at Art of Healing Cancer in Delhi-NCR.
“Nearly all Iraqi patients have abandoned travel plans due to the ongoing crisis and the subsequent closure of airspace. Similarly, we have seen a halt in arrivals from the UAE,” Sinha added.
Highlighting a broader trend, Anil Vinayak, Group Chief Operating Officer, Fortis Healthcare Limited, said there has been a decline of more than 30 per cent in international patient footfall across its facilities in various cities.
He said patients from West Asia account for around 30 per cent of Fortis’ international business.
“If we compare the last 10 days of February with the first 10 days of March, the footfall of patients from West Asia has dropped by 75 per cent,” he said.
Dr Sanjeev Gupta, Group Medical Director, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute and Action Cancer Hospital in Delhi, said there has been a 30-40 per cent decline in overseas patient arrivals, largely due to postponed travel plans and uncertainty, rather than a fall in demand.
“A majority of these appointments are not cancelled, but only deferred, as patients remain in touch with hospitals and plan to reschedule once the situation stabilises,” he said.
Before the crisis, international patients contributed around 12-18 per cent of total patient volume in key specialities such as cardiology, oncology and minimally invasive procedures, Dr Lal said.
Experts said the disruption is also expected to impact revenues.
“For the current month, the overall revenue impact on international medical tourism is estimated to be around 15-20 per cent,” Vinayak said, adding that this could deepen in coming months.
“Across sectors, hospitals are observing an approximate 30-40 per cent decline in medical tourism-linked revenues, largely due to cancellation of elective and planned procedures,” Dr Lal said.
Experts noted that elective and planned procedures are likely to take the biggest hit, with treatments such as fertility care and wellness therapies expected to see the sharpest decline as patients defer non-urgent travel.
They added that the crisis has also affected patients from Africa, many of whom rely on airports in West Asia during transit to India.
Experts also highlighted the wider human impact of the crisis.
“Beyond physical dangers, the psychological scars of conflict, including stress and chronic anxiety, can have long-term effects on children’s cognitive and emotional development,” said Sumanta Kar of SOS Children’s Villages India.
Despite the downturn, experts believe the impact is temporary. They said the demand for healthcare remains and is largely deferred, and the sector is expected to recover once connectivity improves and stability returns to the region.
Describing the current situation as a temporary setback, experts said Delhi-NCR’s healthcare ecosystem remains robust and expressed confidence that the trust of patients from West Asia in Indian healthcare services will help the sector bounce back soon. PTI SGV ARB ARB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.