Medical visa to India introduced - one year, and extendable

Govt to introduce medical visa to all foreigners
http://sify.com/news/othernews/fullstory.php?id=13891958


Friday, 08 July , 2005, 19:15

New Delhi: The government has decided to introduce medical visa to all foreign nationals, including those from China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who come to India for medical treatment and are required to live in the country for an extended period.

"The medical visa would be admissible to all foreigners seeking medical attendance in reputed/recognised specialised hospitals/treatment centres in the country," an official release said on Friday.

The initial period of such a visa would be one year or for the period of treatment, whichever is less.

Unlike tourist visa, medical visa was extendable, the release said, adding the state governments and FRROs had been delegated powers to extend such visas.

How interesting... I desperately need the medicine of Varshana Dham...

some more info, details on which kind of diseases 'favored'...

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050709/asp/...ory_4969103.asp

and this also on students' visas

The introduction of more liberal visa-regulations depends on the parties that are forming the government of a period. When the BJP-alliance came to power, restrictions were more pronounced because of their more conservative, protective and in some ways anti-western views; now that Congress has the upper hand again, it is to be hoped that an opening of the regulations regarding tourist-visas could be ahead as well, especially regarding their extendability.

Umm, no I think it was the opposite, Nabadipji. Congress were always anti-western ('non-aligned'), while BJP's biggest supporters were American NRI's (Non Resident Indian - http://in.rediff.com/election/2004/apr/13iype.htm ). But nowadays ideology takes back seat to economics, as the flow of dollars back into the country from rich NRI's is attractive to any party .

'only be required to seek permission from the local FRO'

'Only'! Local FRO used to be the most corrupt, always asking 'please bring Pentax camera'. I wish I never had to see the local FRO. Much happier to deal with embassies of educated professionals than the local mafia (!).

Seems to depend on the point of view. What I meant is the Hindutva-orientation of the BJP which saw foreigners as intruders or at least reminders of the British oppressors (see Shiv Sena in Maharastra, and the Sangh Parivar in general), versus the more secular vision of the Congress which imitated western ways in doing politics and for whom a western tourist was a welcome example for their non-communal agenda. What it boils down to, however, is how the visa rules change with changing governments. The 5-year-visa was still introduced under Congress coalition, that is before 1998. I do not know what changed to the positive with the BJP in power, I only observe that now with the come-back of the Congress these new types of visas are being introduced. And I continue to hope that their hunger for more dollars will make them change the rules for prolongation of tourist visas.

That some more powers are vested with the Regional Officers is promising in respect to the development of differing practices, according to whoever is in charge in one office compared to another one. In short time people will be able to tell others that it is better to go to this office rather than that one. Personally I have never been in a position to bribe anyone for anything whatsoever. And if bribe was possible, it would not be seen as a drawback, but a welcome alternative to having to go to Nepal or Sri Lanka, which would turn out as least as, or more expensive as a possible friendly present.

The way it was in Navadwip Dham, or Krishnagar respectively, in the early 80ies, you could ask for prolongation of a 3-month tourist visa, and the processing of the request took so long that you could stay 9 months until you got the denial of the first request. The paper-work mode was so antiquated that there was no other way. Today with the computerisation at hand things become more difficult, or rather easier for them to handle (well, perhaps not ). In the early 90ies a six-month visa could be prolonged also. That facility was abolished some time later.

A,E,I,O,U of health tourism high


Mumbai, July 24: A British woman is coming to Mumbai soon for life-saving surgery. She has sold her house and is staking all on it. But she says it is still better than getting treated in the UK.

The Union government, which recently gave the nod to a one-year (extendable) medical visa for foreigners seeking treatment here, is on the right track. It’s not only NRI uncles and aunties combining a visit to an Indian doctor for cheap with their annual trip to India. Private hospitals in India have pucca phirangs dropping in — in droves.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050725/asp/...ory_5031114.asp

At a recent radio presentation I heard a top Indian heart specialist of Delhi say that open heart surgery costs in India around $6000 versus $30-40'000 in the U.S.

I also knew someone who got cancer surgery of the intestines in an Apollo Hospital for (at that time) 16'000 Rupees, roughly $400 dollars then. The Apollo hospital chain belongs to the top private hospitals in India which is going abroad with franchises.

This development is not that interesting for the young folks frequenting GD, but for the older ones it certainly is.