Africa is now looking at India to spruce up its healthcare through collaborations for training of doctors and its paramedics, besides access to med-tech support. For this purpose, a healthcare delegation from Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and Ghana visited India to scout for strategic partnerships with Indian hospitals to maximise the expertise and know-how in treating patients.

In a recent development, Kenya’s Mombasa county inked pacts with Mangaluru-based Yenepoya Hospital, Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences and the Mangalore Institute of Oncology to provide treatment conveniences to patients in the African continent.
 
The agreement is first international collaboration of Mangalore Hospitals with Mombasa which is one among the 47 counties in Kenya. Following the partnership, three Mangaluru medical institutes will help train laboratory technicians and also support in capacity building of healthcare facilities in Mombasa.
 
At the 3rd edition of International Healthcare Tourism Congress 2018 (IHTC) held in Bengaluru recently, Dr Constantine Constantinides, Health Tourism Enterprise, Greece Dr. Dan Christopher Namarika, Health Secretary, Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi, Dr. K.S Nayak, President, Global Healthcare Tourism Association and Dr. Gangadharan, Chairman Expert Committee, IHTC viewed India as a hub for healthcare practices including cost-effective business models, advanced infrastructure and easy access to qualified medical expertise.

According to Khadija Sood Shikely, Chief Health Officer, Mombasa county who led a 10-member delegation said that the three Mangaluru hospitals were opted for the facilities available.
 
Going forward, more such similar partnerships are in the offing. Mombasa County patients can access the three hospitals for advanced treatment. For the present, the  three hospitals will shortly be included in the list of empanelled hospitals of Mombasa Country’s National Health Insurance Fund. The affordable cost and high quality care is a key plus for patients who can access the facilities with a direct flight service between Mombasa and Mangaluru,” she said.
 
Mombasa country was also scouting for potential investments from Karnataka as its capital Bengaluru is recognised as a cluster for advanced and comprehensive healthcare.
 
Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister U.T. Khader said the MoU with Mombasa County will give a fillip to medical tourism. The State government will help Mombasa patients in getting necessary clearances to avail the medical care from Mangaluru. Further, with the Union government, provide visa-on-arrival facility at the international airport in Mangaluru, he said.

Last month in a bid to strengthening India-Africa ties in healthcare, the Apollo Hospitals Group started a specialized training program for paramedical staff from nine African countries. Previously, the hospital chain had trained over 100 medical doctors from 24 African countries at its five facilities in New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.