7th edition of HOSTOCON at PU

Chandigarh, February 15, 2019:University Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management (UIHTM), Panjab University Chandigarh, Panjab University organized its 7th edition of HOSTOCON, an international conference on medical health and wellness tourism in India, Status Trends and Future Prospects. The dignitaries for the event were His Eminence Mr. Willy Kipkorir Bett , High Commissioner Kenya to India, Dr.Marina Ambrosecchio, President and founder UET Italia, Dr.Bikas Mehdi, PGI, Professor R.K.Gupta, Vice Chancellor Maharaja Agrasen University, Professor Sanjay Kaushik, Director ICSSR and Dean College Development Council, Dr.Subhash Sharma, PU Fellow and Dr.Varinder Garg, Radiologist, OSD to Health Minister PGI. In his welcome address Dr. Subhash Sharma described significance of India in medical tourism also one of the best locations to obtain top quality medical treatments and indisputably a leader in the promotion of medical tourism. He further emphasisied that Indian health care industry is growing at a faster pace and it is likely to increase by $280 billion industry by 2020. Dr. Varinder Garg discussed that India is equally competent to its western counterparts as it offers low cost treatment and competent quality of services. He said that Kitchens in homes of India are itself a pharmacy. The amalgamations of various herbs and spices Served as potential healers for various diseases and ailments. He also said that channelizing medical tourism would help create employment and boots infrastructural facilities. Prof. R.K. Gupta during his speech told that medical tourists come to India for dental, cosmetic, cardiovascular and neurological treatments. He suggested that tourism sector should work closely with the industry chambers, students should be trained with an additional language, there should be a joint platform of information and communication also the services of Ayurveda homeopathy and naturopathy should be expanded and panchkarma should be highlighted. Prof. Marina emphasized that India and Italy should work hand in hand for expanding their niche medical tourism and to tap its full potential. She discussed how Italy and India are similar in respect of medical tourism however, lack of proper infrastructural facilities and marketing have somehow lead to the degradation in medical tourist’s influx. Mr. Willy said that Kenya and India have relations since ancient times. Also he said that Kenya is a potential market of medical tourists for niche medical tourism in India. He described the reasons for the emergence of medical tourism in India. According to him time has come for the policy makers for putting up framework and suggesting the government. Dr. Bikas Mehdi explained how people who had been treated by Indian doctors had a lesser mortality rate. He described how competent MBBS professionals in India are. However the communication was found to be a drawback for the development of niche tourism. Prof. Sanjay Kaushik described the model for ideal medical tourism and suggested three ways for expansion of the same. Dr. Prashant Gautam, Director UIHTM, presented the vote of thanks.