Hyderabad: The ongoing West Asia conflict has sharply dented medical tourism to Hyderabad, with hospitals reporting a 30–40% drop in international patient arrivals over the past few weeks. Facilities that typically receive 240–250 overseas patients a month from the Gulf and Africa say inflow has fallen to around 150, as many defer elective procedures.“We are seeing a sudden drop in elective surgeries. Patients usually book travel 15 days to a month in advance. Many scheduled for March have not turned up, especially from Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, particularly Dubai,” said Prem Gokul, associate vice-president (international business relations), KIMS Hospitals.A neurologist at Apollo Hospitals echoed the trend. “In a normal week, we see four to five patients from African countries and about seven to 14 from West Asia. Now, Middle East numbers have dropped to one or two, while African inflow has reduced even further,” he said.CARE Hospitals said about 30% of its roughly 500 monthly international patients postponed or cancelled treatment in March. “As many patients transit via Gulf nations, travel time has increased due to route changes and security concerns. Journeys that usually take 14–16 hours are now stretching up to two days because of flight detours and multiple stops. This has discouraged many patients,” said Toshan Singh, head of international sales and marketing, CARE Hospitals.Experts attribute the slowdown to disrupted connectivity, security concerns and a spike in airfares. “Major healthcare hubs like Thailand, Turkey and Singapore benefit from strong national carriers. India relies heavily on international airlines, especially Middle Eastern carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Oman Air, which have reduced operations,” said Sameer Agrawal, deputy general manager (international business), Apollo Hospitals, adding the situation could worsen.The impact extends to African routes as well. Direct connectivity via Ethiopian Airlines between Hyderabad and Addis Ababa had boosted inflow from Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Nigeria, narrowing the gap with Mumbai and Delhi. But current tensions have pushed travellers onto fewer routes, driving up fares.“Round-trip tickets that earlier cost Rs 90,000– Rs 1.4 lakh are now reaching Rs 2.2– Rs 2.8 lakh,” Agrawal said.Despite the setback, experts see a long-term opportunity. “When disruptions affect healthcare access in some regions, patients look for alternatives. India, given its proximity and diplomatic ties, remains a strong option,” said Dr Krishna Chaitanya Mantravadi of Oasis Fertility. Prem Gokul added that patients who earlier preferred Gulf hubs such as Dubai or Jordan may increasingly consider Hyderabad a stable destination once conditions normalise.
