Sat Jan 04 04:19:10 UTC 2025: ## India’s Visa Restrictions Cripple Bangladeshi Patients Seeking Medical Care
**DHAKA, BANGLADESH** – Strained relations between India and Bangladesh are causing a humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands of Bangladeshi patients stranded and unable to access vital medical care in India. The Indian government has drastically reduced visa processing, severely impacting medical tourism and leaving those in need facing life-threatening delays.
Khadiza Khatun’s husband, Mohammad Nuri Alam, requires a liver transplant, a procedure unavailable in Bangladesh. Their application for an Indian medical visa, submitted in October, remains unprocessed, causing them to miss two crucial appointments at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology in Hyderabad. Their situation highlights the plight of countless others.
Since July, when protests led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh, the number of daily Indian visa slots in Bangladesh has plummeted from over 7,000 to around 500. The Indian visa center website now states it’s only processing a “limited number of visas of emergency and humanitarian nature.”
While India cites concerns about attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus and strained diplomatic relations, Bangladesh counters that the violence is largely politically motivated and that Indian media has exaggerated the situation. A recent diplomatic note from Bangladesh to India requested the extradition of Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India.
The reduced visa issuance has severely impacted India’s medical tourism industry, which relies heavily on Bangladeshi patients. Industry data indicates an 80% drop in Bangladeshi patients since August, impacting hospitals across India, particularly those in Kolkata. Some hospitals have even reportedly refused Bangladeshi patients.
While a recent high-level meeting between Indian and Bangladeshi officials yielded assurances of increased visa processing, no tangible changes have been observed. Patients and visa agents remain frustrated, with many resorting to far more expensive treatment options in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Turkey, despite the significantly increased cost.
The situation underscores the damaging impact of political tensions on ordinary citizens. Experts warn that the continued restrictions could severely damage long-term people-to-people relations between the two nations. For Khadiza Khatun and countless others, the delay means a race against time to secure the medical care they desperately need.
First Piper 