Mauritius expects the number of foreign patients seeking medical care on the Indian Ocean island nation to increase 36 percent this year from 2010, the Board of Investment said.
The number may increase to 15,000, the Port Louis-based board said in an e-mailed statement today following a survey of healthcare providers.
“Mauritius has set itself a target of attracting 100,000 foreign patients by 2020,” and to contribute about $1 billion annually to the economy, according to the statement
The main source of patients was Madagascar with 28 percent, followed by Seychelles, Reunion, France and South Africa, it said. Foreign patients being treated in Mauritius stood at 1,000 in 2005, according to the statement.