A leading private hospital here and a Russian organization is likely to enter into a joint venture to promote health tourism by bringing in patients, physically challenged and the ageing population for rest and relaxation from Russia.

E.M. Najeeb, who heads a leading travel and tour company and also is the director at the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), said that the idea of a joint venture was mooted after two separate groups of  charter tourist from Russia visited Kerala and KIMS last month.

"The group that came here went around our hospital inspecting the facilities and also we gave them the rates for the medical packages that we have developed to promote health tourism", Najeeb told IANS.

The Russian group that was here comprised top officials of the government and also the health department.

"Ayurveda is one important ingredient in the health tourism packages and another pioneering aspect of the proposed cooperation is expected to come in the field of managing physically challenged people and geriatric care here, when winter is at its worst in Russia. To set up this centre, we expect the Russian's to invest and we would manage the operations", said Najeeb.

Of late Kerala has seen a large number of foreign nationals visiting leading private hospitals like KIMS for surgeries like heart bypass, knee replacement and also ophthalmic and dental treatments.

State tourism minister K.C. Venugopal said that taking into consideration the immense potential that Kerala has in the field of health tourism, we have called a meeting of leading private hospitals in the state on Thursday.

"The government would act as the facilitator and would provide all the necessary marketing and legal support, so as to build confidence in the minds of people now looking towards us as the prime destination for cheap but the best medical care", Venugopal told IANS.