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Every year, hundreds of Bangladeshis reach West Bengal seeking medical treatment. If they were to stop, scores of private hospitals, hotels and guest houses would have to scale down operations or wind up. According to official records, India issues nearly 12,000 medical visas to Bangladeshi nationals annually, making the eastern neighbour India’s biggest source of medical tourists. Most head to corporate hospitals in Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai.
The actual number may be higher. If officials at the border gates in West Bengal are right, a substantial percentage of the 700,000 or so Bangladeshi tourists use Indian medical facilities.
A very rough estimate suggests that the top private hospitals in Kolkata witnessed 15-50 per cent growth in the last year alone. At least three of them, including BM Birla Heart Research Centre, are on an expansion spree. All this has driven up employment in West Bengal’s only growth machine: the services sector. The rising inflow of patients has led to scores of private guest houses and hotels coming up. And a disproportionately high concentration of drug stores.
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