Wednesday, October 5 2005 17:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In view of the enormous potential of health tourism in creating jobs and raking in foreign exchange, Ministries of Health and Tourism today (Oct 5, 2005) decided to get started by setting up a website and a database.

The website, a joint effort between the two ministries, is likely to be set up by December this year, Health Ministry officials said.

"It will have all the details about the facilities available in the country for 'health tourism' and the prices," Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Tourism Minister Renuka Chaudhury told reporters.

"We are trying to move forward in the area by coming up with appropriate regulations," Ramadoss said.

Chaudhary said a database was also being created which would help identify medical tourists.

Hospitals were already getting patients from abroad and the Government was trying to regulate this, Ramadoss said.

Tourism Ministry would promote 'basic hospitals in generic terms, he said adding "We are setting up National Health Accreditation Board to accredit hospitals.'

In the process, hospitals would improve their facilities, which would help in providing quality healthcare to people, he said.

Ramadoss said, "Health tourism would generate employment and foreign exchange. Some of the Indian doctors who had settled in other countries are already coming back."