Page 40 - PR Communication Age MAY 2016

Every year, hundreds of medical and dents and foreigners, but also for the Chandra said commuters can opt for
nursing graduates leave India to pur- economy. More hospitals to take care prepaid, post-paid or direct account
sue a career overseas, among them of more patients will mean more jobs debt options. Those who want to pay
many who would have stayed on if for qualified medical professionals as by cash do that as well. All data related
there were more opportunities. Creat- well as other support staff. to the electronic tags would be stored
ing those opportunities is not very dif- with National Payments Corporation of
ficult if the governments at the Centre National highways to have India (NPCI) which will be the central
and States were to work in close co- electronic tolling clearing house.
operation with the healthcare industry
to identify and address problem areas From now on the national highways will Air travelers to get com-
with the right policy measures. have electronic toll collections. Those pensation for loss, delays
who will avail of the electronic pay- etc
Even with the existing infrastructure, ment option will also get a 10% dis-
more than 200,000 tourists come to count on toll for one year, National Parliament has cleared a bill for pro-
India annually for medical care, includ- Highways Authority of India (NHAI) viding increased compensation to air
ing complicated surgeries. People are Chairman Raghav Chandra said. Users travelers in case of baggage loss, de-
also looking beyond conventional, allo- can visit any branch of the three lay in flights, injury and death, mandat-
pathic-led treatment, in particular tra- banks-ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and State ing Indian carriers to pay rates equiva-
ditional medicine such as ayurveda. Bank of India (SBI)-and get a sticker lent to global standards.
with an electronic tag for Rs.100-150.
A key concern faced by those seeking The Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill
medical value tourism is visas. Our cur- Scanners or hand-held devices at the was passed in Lok Sabha on December
rent medical visa regime has to be sim- toll plazas will automatically deduct toll 2015 and by the Rajya Sabha, with
plified; short-term medical treatments from vehicles with the sticker. The certain amendments, on March 2. The
should be permitted even with tourist sticker will be issued based on the bill, along with the amendments, came
category visas. For complex treat- vehicle's axle load since the toll is dif- back to the Lower House and was
ments, multiple entry or longer stay ferent for different types of vehicles. adopted by a voice vote.
may be required. We should also con- User could apply for the sticker on the
sider the new e-visa regime to have website of the NHAI or the bank. Once the bill is approved by the Presi-
options for short-term medical treat- dent, airlines will have to pay compen-
ments. With almost 5 to 6 million tour- Out of the 357 toll plazas in the coun- sation of more than Rs. 1 crore in case
ists coming to India, a simplified visa try, 300 tolls have already installed the of death or bodily injury to an air trav-
system would have a multiplier effect equipment, while the remaining 57 eler. The liability for delay in carriage
on forex earnings. would use hand held devices and have for each person will go up from 4150
been given some extended time to to 4694 SDRs, which means the new
The creation of healthcare infrastruc- switch to the equipment. compensation rate will rise to more
ture to attract overseas patients needs than Rs. 4.3 lakh against Rs. 3.85 lakh.
to be supported with fiscal measures. NHAI chairman Chandra said in the
While seeking tax exemptions may seem first phase, three banks have been The liability in case of destruction, loss,
out of place when the government empanelled and in the coming months, damage or delay with respect to bag-
wants to phase out all exemption and it would be extended to other banks gage for each person has also been
lower the corporate tax rate to 25 per also who would come forward. Be- increased from 1000 to 1131 SDR
cent, the finance ministry should weigh sides, the e-tags will be also sold at while the same for cargo will go up
in the gains from upgrading healthcare petrol pumps and designated centres from 17 to 19 SDR.
infrastructure not just for Indian resi- once the system is in place.

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."

40 PR COMMUNICATION AGE May 2016