Africa-Press – Mauritius. The future implementation of a ?branch? of the Indian Apollo hospital in Mauritius has kick-started an uproar in the press from private clinics. Their main argument can be summed up in one sentence.
Unfair competition from this Indian giant, which will not only cater for foreign patients in that world trend, known as medical tourism. Apollo says that it will give free medical care to the needy.
According to private clinics, this means that Apollo, which will be owned to the tune of 75% by the British American Insurance , will cater mostly for local patients and price our private clinics out of the market.
We will not buy this particular argument of these clinics. Especially at a time when the public at large perceive them as very costly and out of the reach of the common man.
At a time when none of them are regulated and are not compelled to have a doctor on night call. Globalisation is one thing and protectionism is something of the past.
But then, the prime minister (PM), who said he himself called upon Apollo Hospital to open a branch in Mauritius should see to it that there is a level playing field.
The president of the association of private clinics says that these clinics have pulled their resources together and have for two years been asking for the same facilities. They are bent on setting up a high-tech clinic on the same line as Apollo.
They have asked for a plot of state land to be rented to them at the same price to enable them to set up a clinic mostly for foreign patients and are still waiting for an answer.
The Labour government and its allies are working hard on a competition bill and their refusal to consider the project of our private clinics seems very bizarre.
In the face of such a situation, one cannot but ask if the Competition Bill is meant only to favour some companies and individuals close to some members of this government.
Refusing to consider the proposal of these clinics boils down to only one fact. Government may be practising an evil: barring the road to competitors.
It is high time that the PM reconsiders the government?s position on the project of our private clinics and opens the way for more competition in the field of medical tourism.
One should understand that medical tourism will benefit the population at large. Some types of surgery cannot be carried out in Mauritius because there will be no return on investment for such high-tech operation.
The reason lies in the fact that there is a very small number of Mauritians who need such surgery and those who have to resort to it have to spend lot of money abroad. The intake of foreign patients will enable clinics to carry out this high-tech surgery in Mauritius.
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