Eyeing a foothold overseas with a focus on services for medical value travellers, Thiruvananthapuram-based Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences is working on a five-year plan to develop centres in international destinations.

Talking to Business Standard, MI Sahadullah, chairman and managing director, KIMS, said, "We are in the process of lining up a five-year development plan through which we will be looking at tieups with international agencies to set up KIMS centres overseas."

Adding that KIMS will be having centres in the West Asian countries of Bahrain by October and Muscat by January next, Sahadulla said the hospital's medical value travel division would be given an added thrust as part of the expansion plans.

"Around 5 per cent of the KIMS turnover every year would be set aside in this regard." KIMS posted a turnover close to Rs 50 crore (Rs 500 million) last year.

According to him, there has been a marked increase in medical travellers to India and KIMS too has benefited. "Last year, we had as many as 19,700 medical value travel patients.

The number is sure to go up this year, but may not be on expected lines as the chikungunya and viral fever scare may have forced travellers to postpone their tour itinerary," Sahadulla said.

The affordability factor and the zero waiting period have led to more American and European patients opting to travel to Indian hospitals. Statistics say that hospitals in the US charge up to five times the amount charged by Indian healthcare providers.

Moreover, the waiting period for surgeries and other treatment runs up to over a year, while it is practically nil in India.

The hospital plans to focus on the quality at its exclusive 25 suites set aside for medical value travellers.