ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is working on a three-phase plan to tap into the $144 billion global medical tourism industry, with the proposed facility to be developed in Islamabad in collaboration with the private sector, official documents and an industry official told Arab News on Thursday.
The initiative is being developed by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a high-level government body set up to facilitate and attract investment, in coordination with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and MSK Group, a cosmetic surgery company led by Dr. Muhammad Salman Khan.
According to official documents seen by Arab News, a meeting held at the SIFC Secretariat at the Prime Minister’s Office on Aug. 5 discussed a proposal submitted by Khan to develop a medical tourism ecosystem in Pakistan, beginning with premium “MSK Med Suites” in
Islamabad and progressing toward a dedicated Medical Tourism Center and ultimately an Islamabad Medical City.
In his letter to the SIFC, Khan said the global medical tourism industry was worth $144 billion, while Pakistan’s share was only around 0.5 percent.
He highlighted the rapid expansion of the global medical tourism market and Pakistan’s competitive advantages, including significantly lower treatment costs, the availability of qualified specialists and a large overseas Pakistani diaspora that could serve as an initial target market.
“With improving international image of the country, it is high time to target new areas of revenue generation,” Khan wrote.
He added that two sectors alone account for around 35 percent of global medical tourism patient flows — cosmetic surgery, including hair transplants, facelifts, rhinoplasty, nose jobs, liposuction and body contouring, which accounts for 24.2 percent, and dentistry, which accounts for 10 percent.
“Together these two specialties make 35 percent of global patient flow from one country to another,” he wrote.
THREE-PHASE PLAN
Speaking to Arab News, Khan confirmed the development and said the project could move forward relatively quickly by making use of existing infrastructure.
“Yes, we can see this happening very soon. We are looking at existing infrastructure so that the project can move forward without waiting for a completely new facility to be constructed,” he said, outlining the phased approach.
He said the project was envisaged as a two-year initiative comprising three stages.
The first phase would use existing infrastructure to begin operations as quickly as possible. The second phase, targeted for completion within six months, would depend on the Capital Development Authority (CDA) allocating a suitable building.
“The third and longer-term phase envisages the development of a full-fledged luxury medical tourism center spanning over an area of 25,000 square feet, with the aim of promoting Pakistan as an international health care destination,” Khan said.
Unlike a conventional hospital, the proposed center is designed as an integrated, high-end medical and hospitality facility combining specialized clinics and medical suites with luxury accommodation, he said.
“The concept would include five-star-style medical facilities and accommodation under one roof, alongside services designed to make the experience more convenient for international patients and their accompanying families,” Khan said.
The proposed packages could include airport transfers, accommodation and sightseeing tours for patients and their families, creating a medical tourism model that combines health care with hospitality and tourism.
TARGETING OVERSEAS PATIENTS
Khan said the center would initially focus on procedures in which Pakistan could offer significant cost advantages, including cosmetic and plastic surgery, rhinoplasty, hair transplants and laser treatments.
According to him, around half of the center’s clients are expected to come from overseas, especially from Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
A tiered pricing model ranging from three-star to five-star packages is also being considered, with the aim of making treatment substantially cheaper than in competing destinations in the region.
According to the project proposal, some procedures could cost as little as one-tenth of comparable services in Thailand and around one-fifth of the cost in India.
The proposal comes as Pakistan seeks to expand its health care sector beyond domestic demand and tap into the growing international market for relatively affordable medical procedures.
For the government, the project could provide a new avenue for foreign exchange earnings by attracting overseas patients while generating demand for health care, hospitality, transportation and tourism services.
FEASIBILITY MODEL
According to the documents, the SIFC has instructed the CDA to convene a meeting involving Khan, the CDA chairman and relevant stakeholders to deliberate on the proposed project.
The MSK Group has also been directed to submit a comprehensive investment, commercial and financial feasibility model for the proposed medical tourism initiative at Islamabad’s planned Jinnah Medical Complex (JMC), for review by the complex.
The SIFC will also coordinate and schedule a meeting between the MSK Group and representatives of Islamabad’s leading five-star hotels to assess commercial interest and the operational feasibility of establishing dedicated medical tourism facilities.
The immediate priority remains securing a suitable location and moving the first phase into operation.
The SIFC spokesperson and the CDA were contacted by Arab News for comment, but no response had been received by the time of filing.
