The Haryana government has decided to promote health tourism and such projects involving an investment of Rs 100 crore or above would be given the status of industry for the purpose of incentives.
While stating this an official spokesman said that the Industrial and Investment Policy-2011 seeks private sector investment in heath and healthcare sector to facilitate establishment of quality healthcare institutions within the framework of set standards and norms.
He said Haryana holds great potential for development as centre of medical tourism. It also has potential for investment in the health sector through establishment of hospitals offering primary, secondary and tertiary level healthcare facilities and allied services like pharmacies, diagnostics, pathological labs, training and skill development for para-medical services.
He said the state government would work towards establishment of the facilities like common bio-medical waste treatment facilities for proper disposal of biomedical waste generated by hospitals, laboratories and research and development centres, effluent treatment plants for treatment of liquid effluent generated from government hospitals and liquid oxygen plants in hospitals with bed-strength of more than 100.
He said agencies like Haryana urban development authority, Haryana state industrial and infrastructure development corporation and the urban development bodies would endeavour to earmark separate clusters at appropriate locations for healthcare service providers. The non-nuisance professional consultancy services, which includes doctors without nursing homes are permissible in residential areas, as per the norms. The town and country planning department allows change of land use (CLU) permission for health facilities in the conforming zones of development plans that is residential and public and semi-public. Apart from the above, hospitals are also permitted in the agriculture zone in relaxation of zoning regulations in the public interest by the government.
While referring to the pharmaceutical industry, he said that the pharmaceutical sector has a huge growth potential in the state and the state recognises the need for development of this sector on a sustainable basis.
The Union government has selected Haryana to set up a bio-technology park along with research and development facility and also establishment of a pharma industrial park in the state. It was in this background that the state government has decided to earmark or acquire about 1,000 acres for the development of a dedicated pharma park near Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway Global Economic Corridor for this purpose. The state government has undertaken procedural reforms during the year 2009 in connection with grant and renewal of drug manufacturing licenses to minimize delays at various levels and bring transparency in disposal of various applications by the concerned department or authority, he added.