After south and north India, it?s now the turn of Calcutta to be showcased as a medical tourism hub before an international audience.

Hospitals from the city will take part in the second India Medical Tourism Expo, to be held in London from June 2 to 4 to highlight the city?s healthcare services.

Lots of patients from the UK and the US are coming to city hospitals for treatment for obesity and cosmetic surgery. ?But these are all on individual levels. Medical tourism is yet to take on an organised form,? said a doctor.

?Calcutta hospitals have state-of-the-art facilities and the cost of treatment is also affordable. We are making a concerted attempt to sell this image of Calcutta?s healthcare to the world,? said Rupak Barua, director (growth and marketing) of Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) and BM Birla Heart Research Centre.

?The hospitals in north and south India have established their credentials in the West. It?s time Calcutta was highlighted,? he added.

During the three-day event, representatives of the participating hospitals will hold talks with tour operators from the UK and other European countries, Canada and the US. Talks are also on the cards with the Indian high commission, insurance agencies and the various NRI associations.

The NRIs are a major target group of the city-based private hospitals.

?We will elaborate on the healthcare facilities in Calcutta and also outline the various offers that include air travel, hotel stay and treatment,? Barua said.

According to the organisers, 22 private hospitals from across the country took part in last year?s fair. There was, however, no representation from eastern India.

?This year, 35 hospitals from the city will take part in the Expo. Among them are Escorts and Wockhardt,? said Manish Joshi, an official of the event management company entrusted with staging the fair.

Joshi said 35 per cent of the hospitals that had taken part in last year?s fair have confirmed their participation this time, too. Hospitals for alternative therapy are also sending their representatives. Joshi expects that ?at least 5,000 patients and 500 medical tourism companies? will visit the fair.

Sources in the Union tourism ministry said India was fast becoming a popular health destination after Southeast Asia. ?In the UK, a patient has to wait several months for a surgery under the National Health Scheme. The other option ? patients paying for the treatment ? is too expensive. The rates here are cheaper and the queue smaller,? said an official from Delhi.

S.B. Purakayastha, president of AMRI Hospitals, said: ?We are getting queries about joint replacements, kidney transplants and cardiac problems.? The hospital has tied up with a tour agency. ?In the first two months, we have received a few patients but the number of queries is increasing,? he added.