Sri Lanka has a well developed healthcare sector and the country should promote health tourism where there is a huge potential in the international market. The country’s medical sector is highly qualified and is capable of providing specialized treatment. Sri Lanka could be promoted as a health tourism destination with the expected influx of tourists, Softlogic Holdings Chairman Ashok Pathirage told Daily News Business.

“We could offer specialized services as the country has international standard hospitals and medical staff. Not only ayurveda treatment but western medication could be provided for the foreigners thereby earning foreign exchange,” he said. The focus should be to become a treatment centre similar to services offered by Singapore.

The authorities should encourage modern private healthcare institutions to attract foreign patients. The sector needs incentives to upgrade its hospitals to be on par with international standards.

More people patronize the private healthcare sector at present as it has become affordable to them. One of the main reasons for the increased use of private hospitals is most of the users have medical insurance.