Kolkata Medical Tourism– Once a booming hub for affordable and quality healthcare in eastern India, Kolkata’s medical tourism industry is facing an unexpected and alarming crisis. The inflow of Bangladeshi patients — who made up over 70% of the city’s international medical tourists in past years — has plummeted to just 10% of pre-2024 levels, according to hospital authorities and trade analysts.
The sudden and sustained dip has sent ripples across hospitals, travel facilitators, and associated industries such as hotels, diagnostics, and pharmacies, all of which thrived on the back of Kolkata’s strategic advantage and proximity to Bangladesh.
From Overflowing OPDs to Empty Wards: The Vanishing Patient Base
Until mid-2023, Kolkata’s top private hospitals like AMRI, Medica Superspecialty, Fortis, and Peerless saw a daily inflow of hundreds of Bangladeshi nationals arriving for treatment of chronic illnesses, surgeries, and complex diagnostics. Many were accompanied by family members, making it a full-fledged medical tourism ecosystem.
Today, those same OPDs are witnessing drastically reduced international appointments. Hospital officials estimate that current figures are as low as 10% of what they were a year ago.
A senior official from AMRI Hospital remarked:
“This is unprecedented. We had entire departments, multilingual staff, and logistics chains set up just for Bangladeshi patients. Now those resources are underutilized.”
Why the Collapse? A Mix of Geopolitics, Logistics, and Perception
Multiple interlinked factors have contributed to the downturn in Kolkata’s cross-border medical traffic:
1. Currency Restrictions and Economic Strain in Bangladesh
Since early 2024, the Bangladesh Bank has imposed strict foreign currency exchange controls due to falling dollar reserves. Patients and families are now unable to access or carry the required funds to pay for Indian hospital bills.
These regulations have severely curbed even those with valid visas and prescriptions from traveling, unless treatment is available locally.
More: Bangladesh Bank – Official Statements
2. Stringent Visa Norms and Delays
Another contributing factor is prolonged delays in Indian medical visa processing. Reports suggest a backlog in medical visa approvals and a more cautious scrutiny of applications by Indian immigration authorities.
Applicants from certain parts of Bangladesh have allegedly faced higher rejection rates and longer waiting times, affecting urgent medical cases and travel confidence.
Check visa updates here: Indian Visa Application Portal
3. Political Chill and Border Uncertainties
Though India and Bangladesh maintain generally cordial bilateral relations, recent diplomatic hiccups and internal political tensions in both nations have slowed down people-to-people connectivity. A greater focus on security checks and reduced daily rail and bus services between the two countries have compounded travel woes.
The Economic Fallout: Hospitals, Hotels, and Local Jobs Affected
Medical tourism in Kolkata was a multi-crore industry anchored around trust, proximity, and affordability. Bangladeshi patients were not just hospital clients — they booked hotel rooms for weeks, shopped at local markets, and used services like translators, ambulances, and concierge operators.
Now, hotel occupancy rates near hospital hubs in Dhakuria, Mukundapur, and Salt Lake have fallen by 40–60%. Travel agents specializing in medical tourism packages report losses, with many closing down.
Diagnostic labs and pharmacy chains that once offered “patient-friendly” services to Bangladeshi nationals are also seeing a dip in sales.
A hotel owner near Ruby Hospital said:
“We once had full bookings for at least 20 rooms every month from Bangladeshi families. This July, we had just two.”
The Rise of Bangkok, Singapore, and Even Dhaka
As Kolkata struggles to retain its hold on medical tourism from Bangladesh, competitor destinations have emerged stronger:
- Bangkok and Singapore now attract Bangladeshi elites with more liberal visa regimes, premium hospital packages, and government incentives.
- Within Bangladesh, private hospitals in Dhaka are investing in infrastructure and hiring international consultants to reduce outbound medical dependence.
These trends indicate that Bangladesh’s emerging middle class is diversifying its healthcare destinations, reducing Kolkata’s traditional dominance.
Kolkata Medical Tourism: What Hospitals Are Doing to Fight Back
In response, several Kolkata hospitals are initiating damage control and recovery efforts:
- Digital Consultations: Hospitals like Medica are offering tele-consultation packages for Bangladeshi patients. They hope that online trust-building will eventually revive offline visits.
- Currency Flexibility: Some hospitals are reportedly offering payment deferrals, alternate payment modes, and even negotiating with insurance or third-party payment partners to bypass forex challenges.
- Lobbying for Visa Easing: Hospital associations have reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, seeking intervention to expedite visas and medical clearances.
- Medical Camps in Bangladesh: Institutions are collaborating with local doctors and clinics in Khulna, Jessore, and Chattogram to hold screening camps, aiming to re-establish Kolkata’s medical reputation.
The Broader Question: Can Kolkata Reinvent Its Medical Tourism Appeal?
Medical tourism has always thrived on reliability, accessibility, and goodwill. Kolkata, once the default destination for affordable care with minimal cultural and linguistic barriers, now finds itself at a crossroads.
To stay relevant, experts say the city must:
- Digitize visa + appointment processes
- Create dedicated “Bangladesh-friendly” patient lounges and liaison desks
- Collaborate with regional airlines and embassies to create medical tourism corridors
- Introduce centralized databases to track foreign patient data and feedback
Policy-Level Changes Needed
Beyond hospital-led initiatives, policy interventions are necessary. Stakeholders recommend:
- Separate medical visa fast-track channels at Indian missions
- Special forex allowances for medical travel from Bangladesh
- Resumption of cross-border rail and bus services like Maitree Express, Bandhan Express, and Kolkata-Dhaka AC buses with healthcare focus
They argue that India’s broader soft power goals — especially in South Asia — are best served by making quality healthcare accessible to neighbors.
Voices from the Ground: Patients Caught in the Middle
Many Bangladeshis who previously relied on Kolkata for cancer treatment, orthopedic surgery, or infertility therapy now face uncertainty.
Take the case of Rubina Haque, a 49-year-old homemaker from Khulna:
“My daughter had successful heart surgery in Kolkata in 2022. We wanted to return for follow-up but couldn’t get the visa clearance this time. We’re trying Dhaka instead now.”
Such testimonies reflect both Kolkata’s past goodwill and present loss.
External Resources for Deeper Insights
- Ministry of External Affairs – Medical Visa Policy
- Indian High Commission in Dhaka
- Tourism and Medical Facilitation Council of India
- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) – Medical Value Travel
Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for Kolkata’s Healthcare Economy
Kolkata’s fall from grace in the medical tourism sector may still be reversible. But it demands urgency, diplomacy, infrastructure improvement, and digital innovation.
The city that once earned the trust of tens of thousands of Bangladeshi patients now must rebuild that trust — patient by patient, visa by visa, and policy by policy.
The longer it takes, the more likely it is that Kolkata’s regional healthcare leadership may become a story of the past.
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