Kochi, Aug 22 (PTI) Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohammad Riyas has said the state’s medical tourism sector is witnessing a rapid growth.

He said this after inaugurating the state conference of Chamber of Pharma Entrepreneurs (COPE) and an expo organised as part of the event in Kochi on Thursday.

According to Riyas, Kerala’s hospitals are gaining popularity worldwide, and the state's medical tourism sector is experiencing significant expansion in both reputation and patient visits.

“If we popularise our medical tourism sector further, it will help the pharma sector in Kerala. I hope the chamber will continue to bring new ideas and make Kerala’s health sector even stronger,” he added.

Earlier, State Finance Minister KN Balagopal, through a video conference, spoke about the need to ensure safe and genuine medicines for the people.

He sought the chamber’s help to stop the circulation of counterfeit medicines in the market.

State Revenue Minister K Rajan praised the chamber for introducing modern technology and facilities to make Kerala a global pharmaceutical hub.

COPE state president K Sanal noted that the annual turnover of Kerala’s pharma sector is over Rs 1000 crore and it is very important for the state’s economy.

He stated that the pharmaceutical sector of the state was at the forefront during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, floods, and the Wayanad disaster, by supplying medicines to affected people.

The conference concluded on Friday. PTI TBA TGB ROH

Counterfeit medicine prevention urged to protect public health while promoting medical tourism and pharma sector growth. Regulatory and compliance concerns focus on ensuring drug safety and preventing circulation of counterfeit medicines, with calls for industry collaboration, adoption of modern technologies to support quality assurance, and measures to reinforce supply resilience to protect public health and support economic growth.