The political turmoil in Bangladesh has pushed India to recall its high commission staff and stop visa issuance (unless it is an emergency). This has affected the footfall of medical tourism from that country to India.
A large number of patients from Bangladesh were being treated in Kolkata hospitals, particularly situated on the eastern metropolitan bypass. Their tally dropped notably, when Sheikh Hasina was given political asylum in India, which escalated diplomatic tension between two countries.
The on-going socio-political unrest in Bangladesh, which typically accounts for 50-60 per cent of India’s total international medical tourism inflow, has significantly affected medical tourism from the country to India. A considerable number of these travellers have either cancelled or postponed their visits, according to a recent CareEdge Rating report. The report anticipates that, if the unrest persists, the footfall from Bangladesh is likely to decline by 10-15 per cent further during 2024. “Hospitals with a high dependency on these tourists may experience revenue declines in Q2 and Q3 of 2024-25,” remarks D. Naveen Kumar, associate director, CareEdge Ratings.
One of the significant factors driving the flow of patients was the cultural and linguistic similarities, quality of treatment at competitive prices, access to advanced facilities, etc. Bangladesh stands out as a leading contributor to medical tourism from neighbouring countries, surpassing the Middle East, Myanmar, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This highlights Bangladesh’s crucial role in the Indian medical tourism sector.
“Over the last few months, the patients inflow reduced by almost 25 per cent,” informs Ayanabh Debgupta, regional chief operating officer, East of Manipal Hospitals, which has witnessed sharp drop of patients from Bangladesh. “We have increased our telemedicine consultation to facilitate continuity of care.” All hospitals in Kolkata are facing a similar situation, with numbers of planned surgeries being cancelled or postponed.
The tension between India and Bangladesh has been triggered further by the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu monk, on sedition charges in Bangladesh recently, with clashes increasing, leading to one death. Bangladesh’s interim government has meanwhile accused India of double standards in protecting minorities. Incidents of brutality on minorities have been taking place in India too, it alleged; but the government of India has not expressed any regret. It also claimed that India’s media is spreading misinformation against Dhaka on the issue of Das’s arrest.
While the government of India has tabled a reply to Bangladesh in Parliament, stating that the government had taken serious note of the incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities.
However, a majority of private hospitals disagrees with the view that denying treatment to Bangladeshi patients is not the right thing to do. “We don’t subscribe to the idea of refusing treatment to anybody,” Debgupta argues.
In 2023, about 635,000 medical tourists visited India – up from 475,000 in 2022. Out of this, some 300,000-350,000 were from Bangladesh.
Not only medical tourism, flow of students from the neighbouring country to study in India too is affected. And, they have expressed concern on the current situation in Bangladesh, which has affected the movement of flights and trucks.
BJP leaders in West Bengal have urged the government to completely ban the issue of visa to the people of Bangladesh. They have also threatened to block the India-Bangladesh border at Petrapole, which is the export-import route.
India and Bangladesh share bonds of history, language, culture and a multitude of other commonalities. The relationship between the two nations goes far beyond just strategic partnerships. India was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh and establish diplomatic relations immediately after its independence in December 1971. The excellent bilateral ties reflected a strong partnership, based on equality, trust, sovereignty and understanding. Both the countries demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm, regarding the enhancement of trade and economic cooperation.
A country’s Neighbourhood First Policy determines its engagement with neighbouring nations. Therefore, it is important to see that there should not be any deterioration in the relationship with Bangladesh, while also ensuring the safety of minorities, who are to be protected.