The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Manipal Hospital Enterprise, India, Mr. Karthik Rajagopal, has said that since the ease on travel restrictions to India due to near-zero cases of the COVID-19, patients who had previous appointments are rushing to the country for specialist medical care.
He stated this while speaking in a webinar to Nigerian journalists at a training program Tuesday.
It would be recalled that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical tourism had suffered major setback and patients had to postpone their surgeries and other treatments due to travel restrictions.
This impacted many lives and made the patient’s conditions worse, which increased the morbidity and mortality risk associated with treatable and preventable health conditions.
Addressing the journalists, Mr. Rajagopal said: “Manipal Hospitals has always believed in making healthcare accessible to everyone. Many patients had to postpone their treatments due to the pandemic, but now that the COVID cases in India have been brought under control and international crossings are opening, we are glad to offer our services to our overseas patients.
“It is now critical to recognise that delaying both emergency and routine medical care will increase the danger of the underlying diseases worsening which may result in mortality.
“With the opening of international borders, we can now continue to assist overseas patients who had their procedures postponed due to the pandemic and travel restrictions.
“Nothing brings us more joy at Manipal Hospital than giving our patients a new lease on life, and we encourage our patients not to delay their treatment or surgeries.
“We are now prepared to maintain the same level of confidence and clinical excellence among international patients, thanks to our amazing team of doctors.“
